"My Son Was Crucified In His Car": Philando Castile is Buried in St. Louis

Philando Castile was laid to rest in St. Louis on Saturday.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Philando Castile, the 32-year-old African-American man whose killing by police in Falcon Heights, Minn. in July during a traffic stop was streamed on Facebook Live by his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds, was laid to rest in his hometown of St. Louis on Saturday.

Castile's killing came immediately on the heels of the death of Alton Sterling at the hands of police in Baton Rouge, La. The two incidents sparked a nationwide conversation about policing, race, and violence, with everyone from the governor of Minnesota to musicians like Beyoncé and Kanye West to President Obama weighing in.

Castile had a funeral service in St. Paul, Minn. back in July. But this one in his hometown ended with a white, horse-drawn carriage taking his body to its final resting place at Calvary Cemetery, according to a local CBS affiliate.

After the service, Castile's mother Valerie had some powerful words for the assembled media.

“That seatbelt was the cross, his hair was the thorned crown, and those bullets were the nails," she said. "My son was crucified in his car."

"All we're looking for is justice right about now," she explained. "We need justice for my son."

Castile's family is requesting an independent investigation into the shooting from the Department of Justice. In the letter requesting the investigation, sent last month, the family's attorney states, "[W]e do not believe that local law enforcement authorities will provide a fair and impartial review.”

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