Governor says Philando Castile wouldn’t have been shot if he was white

A suburban police officer likely wouldn’t have shot dead a black motorist if he had been white, Minnesota’s governor has said, joining the national debate in the US over how law enforcement treats black people.

Philando Castile’s girlfriend streamed live on Facebook the gruesome aftermath of his shooting in a St Paul suburb this week.

Castile, a school cafeteria supervisor, had been shot “for no apparent reason” while reaching for his wallet, after telling the officer he had a gun and a permit to carry it, said Diamond Reynolds, the girlfriend, in the video.