{"id":21384,"date":"2020-07-10T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-10T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cashcolorcannabis.com\/?p=21384"},"modified":"2020-07-10T08:21:13","modified_gmt":"2020-07-10T12:21:13","slug":"i-smell-smoke-philando-castile-weed-the-blue-excuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cashcolorcannabis.com\/2020\/07\/10\/i-smell-smoke-philando-castile-weed-the-blue-excuse\/","title":{"rendered":"I Smell Smoke: Philando Castile, Weed & The Blue Excuse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Philando
I Smell Smoke: Phil Castile, Weed & The Blue Excuse (Photo Credit: NBC News)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

“I think I smelled weed.<\/em>” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a few words, but a few words that could mean a whole lot depending on who is saying it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you happen to be a Black man being pulled over by the police, that might be the last thing you want to hear. It also could be the last thing you do hear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That saying alone has been enough to justify numerous arrests all over the country. “I smelled weed,” has been used by police over the years to stop-and-frisk, detain and possibly kill a person. It all depends on what happens after they say, “I smelled weed.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police behavior has come, for lack of better words, under-fire as of late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The increase of police shootings being filmed and circulated online has sparked conversations across the country about how police often go over-the-top when it comes to approaching and attempting to detain potential suspects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the videos are police using unessary force Black men. Sometimes that force has led to death. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s worth a discussion is how often those words, “I smelled marijuana” we’re the start of a problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take for instance the tragic death of Philando Castile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4-years ago, a 28-year-old Philando Castile was fatally shot during a traffic stop by St. Paul police officer Jeronimo Yanez. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Castile was driving with his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds and her four-year-old daughter when their vehicle was pulled over by Yanez and another officer in Falcon Heights<\/a>, a suburb of Saint Paul, Minnesota<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After being asked for his license and registration, Castile told Officer Yanez that he had a firearm. From there, things went left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yanez replied, “Don’t reach for it then”, and Castile said “I’m, I, I was reaching for…” Yanez said “Don’t pull it out”, Castile replied “I’m not pulling it out”, and Reynolds said “He’s not…” Yanez repeated “Don’t pull it out”and then shot at Castile at close range seven times, hitting him five times.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shocking moment was caught on-camera thanks to Diamond Reynolds who recorded the entire thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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