ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota prosecutor said Friday that he won’t step aside but will add a special prosecutor to his team while deciding whether to charge a police officer in the fatal shooting of a black motorist whose girlfriend recorded the immediate aftermath of the shooting in a live video on Facebook.
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said he was elected to uphold the law and intends to do so when investigating the July 6 death of Philando Castile. But he said he will “incorporate” a special prosecutor into his team to enhance trust in the results.
Choi named former U.S. Department of Justice attorney Don Lewis, who is black, to that role. The former law school dean also helped investigate allegations of excessive force in the arrest of a black community activist in 2014 in Minneapolis. In that case, Lewis said the officers were justified.
“This independent perspective can only enhance the integrity and legitimacy of our decision in this case,” Choi said. “This is ultimately what justice requires.”
An attorney for the Castile family, who had called for a special prosecutor, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.