Grandfather of Philando Castile shot by police in Minnesota tells ITV News his grandson was 'assassinated'

The grandfather of Philando Castile who was shot by police in Minnesota has blasted the police saying it was an "assassination".

The 34-year-old was shot in his car on Wednesday as he reached for his driving licence after being pulled over for a broken tail light.

Clarence Castile, Philando’s grandfather, told ITV News: “As far as I can see it was an out and out stupidity from the police. If you’re a policeman you’re supposed to be a policeman - not a hired killer.

"In my book he assassinated the boy. When you stop a person with a broken tail light you don’t get your gun out unless you’re scared or you’re already prejudiced in some way. Whatever went through his mind shouldn’t have gone through his mind."

Philando's girlfriend Diamond Reynolds, also known as Lavish, filmed the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook Live and the video was shared widely online.

She also called for justice, saying: "It could have happened to any one of us."

Clarence said Philando had worked at the school for more than a decade and he had "never heard of him being in trouble for anything. Only thing he did was go to work and go home."

He added: “It goes deeper than a cultural problem. Something should have been done when these shootings first started. It’s been going on since Ferguson Missouri when the cop got away with it. Freddie Gray got put in the back of a police van and dies and the cops aren’t being prosecuted for it.”

He said there is a deep distrust for the police.