The police officer who fatally shot Philando Castile has been acquitted

Jeronimo Yanez, the Minnesota police officer who fatally shot Philando Castile last July, was acquitted Friday.

The 29-year-old had been charged with second-degree manslaughter and two counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm, and faced a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Castile's death garnered national attention last July and prompted protests over police killings, after Castile's girlfriend Diamond Reynolds livestreamed the aftermath of his shooting on Facebook.

Yanez had shot Castile during a traffic stop. He argued in court that he believed Castile had been trying to grab a gun. Reynolds, however, said Castile had only been reaching for his driver's license.

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