McCollum, Dayton, Smith, Klobuchar, Franken, Ellison Urge U.S. Department of Justice to Conduct Full and Thorough Investigation into Death of Philando Castile

Today, Representative Betty McCollum, Governor Mark Dayton, Lt. Governor Tina Smith, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, and Representative Keith Ellison sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch urging the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct a full and thorough investigation into the death of Philando Castile.

“A full and thorough accounting of the facts is necessary in order to secure justice for Philando’s family and his loved ones,” the lawmakers wrote. “While we appreciate that the Department has offered to assist the BCA’s efforts as necessary, we believe it is important that the Department immediately initiate a federal investigation.”

The full text of the letter is below:

Dear Attorney General Lynch:

We write to express our collective sadness at the death of Philando Castile, who passed away after being shot in Falcon Heights, Minnesota by a local law enforcement officer last night. Our thoughts are with Philando’s family and all those affected by this tragedy.

We urge the Department of Justice to launch a full and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Philando’s death. We know that the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has already begun the important work of examining these events through its own investigation, and we are grateful for the work of these dedicated professionals.

A full and thorough accounting of the facts is necessary in order to secure justice for Philando’s family and his loved ones. While we appreciate that the Department has offered to assist the BCA’s efforts as necessary, we believe it is important that the Department immediately initiate a federal investigation.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,