MN - Diamond Reynolds, Philando Castile GF, charged in felony hammer attack

An unfortunate choice of headline from last summer, given the current situation with Diamond Reynolds. She is facing 2 counts of felony assault with a hammer, 12 years in prison, and has bail set at $90,000. "Unique strength", indeed:

Diamond Reynolds represents that unique strength found in black women

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http://thegrio.com/2016/07/08/diamond-reynolds-represents-that-rare-strength-found-in-black-women/

Philando Castile’s Fmr. Girlfriend Charged With Hammer Assault

The victim said Reynolds punched her in the head while Blair grabbed her hair. She says Reynolds pulled out a hammer and hit her in the head, causing her to fall to the ground. She said she blacked out briefly, then came back to consciousness to find Reynolds continuing to strike her with the tool.

She says she tried to get away when Reynolds started hitting her car with the hammer, but she was soon confronted by 25-year-old Dyamond Richardson, who allegedly sprayed her with bear mace before the group fled the parking lot.

The victim, 25, suffered serious injuries and was taken to Regions Hospital.

Reynolds is charged with a count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and a count of third-degree assault inflicting substantial bodily harm. She could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted on both counts.

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http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/0...ynolds-arrest/

Reynolds has since been charged in Ramsey County with two felony counts of assault, and her bail was set at $90,000, with her first court appearance scheduled for Monday.

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http://thegrio.com/2017/03/04/philando-castiles-girlfriend-arrested/

Diamond Reynolds, girlfriend of Philando Castile, accused of assault with a hammer

In a criminal complaint filed by Washington County prosecutors, the 24-year-old victim told St. Paul investigators she was driving near Johnson Parkway and Magnolia Avenue when a silver SUV made a U-turn to follow her. She pulled into Jessamine Lane. She said Reynolds and another woman came at her and Reynolds punched her in the head. At some point in the scuffle, the victim said Reynolds hit her in the head with a hammer and smashed her vehicle's windshield.

The victim was taken to Regions Hospital. The criminal complaint said she identified the three women from photo lineups. St. Paul police say Reynolds was arrested on Thursday.

The Ramsey County Attorney, citing a conflict, referred the case to Washington County. The Ramsey County Attorney is prosecuting the Yanez case.

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https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/0...lt-with-hammer

Diamond Reynolds, two others charged in alleged hammer attack on woman

Reynolds punched the 24-year-old victim in the head with a closed fist and Blair grabbed her hair. At one point, Reynolds hit the woman in the head with a hammer, causing her to fall to the ground. While the victim was on the ground, Reynolds continued to hit her in the head with a hammer, causing her to black out for a moment.

The victim told police, Reynolds then with the hammer hit the victim's car's windshield, breaking it. While the woman tried to get up, another vehicle pulled up and Dyamond Richardson got out and started spraying bear mace at the victim, who started to run away.

Reynolds, Richardson, and Blair then left in two vehicles.

The victim identified the three women in a photo lineup.

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http://www.fox9.com/news/239395880-story

Diamond Reynolds, two others charged in alleged hammer attack on woman

Prosecutors on Friday charged Diamond Reynolds with felony assault in an alleged hammer attack on a woman in St. Paul.

One of the woman told police “there was a continuing conflict between her and” a friend of Tuesday’s assault victim. In February, Reynolds “specifically” threatened “to come after the victim” in a Facebook post, according to the criminal complaint.

The Ramsey County attorney’s office asked Washington County to handle the case to avoid a conflict of interest. Reynolds is listed as a victim and witness in Ramsey County’s case against officer Yanez.

Reynolds’ attorney could not be reached for comment Friday. She is scheduled to make her first court appearance in the case Monday.

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http://www.twincities.com/2017/03/03...ammer-assault/

I don't think Diamond Reynolds will be in any position to bargain for a plea deal on this, and I think it's highly likely she will either plead guilty, or be convicted on both counts. I would not be surprised if additional charges are brought, related to the conspiracy, or attempted murder-- especially due to the clear premeditation and recruitment of the other 2 perpetrators.

Thankfully, it sounds as if the victim will live, though most articles describe her head injuries as "very serious".

DR has a daughter that is 4 or 5 years old. After experiencing the situation with the PC shooting, eviction, homelessness, being around frequent drug abuse, and other extreme circumstances, I am particularly sad and frustrated that DR would choose to put this child thru even more heartache and pain by committing this violent criminal assault. SMH. This was clearly a very premeditated violent act-- not simply a spontaneous act of passion.

Facing 12 years in prison, and for such a violent premeditated assault, it's likely that DR will also be facing involuntary termination of parental rights. The child will be at least 17-18 years old, if DR gets a 12 year prison sentence.

As I recall, DR's mother, DD, lives out of state, and had given interviews after the PC shooting. She sounded as if she had a good relationship with DR. Perhaps she will be in a position to care for the child long term. Or perhaps PC's parents.

One thing is certain-- this very young child is going to be hurting, confused, and sad for a very, very long time. And she will have to grow up without parents.

After police arrested Richardson, she told them about the past conflict between her and the victim’s friend, identified in the complaint as Y.G. On Feb. 9, the victim and Y.G. came to Richardson’s work and started a fight with her, Richardson reported.

Reynolds claimed Y.G. had damaged her vehicle and wanted to fight, according to Richardson. Blair and Reynolds “agreed to help Richardson fight and find Y.G.,” so they rode in two different vehicles to the victim’s house in search of Y.G., the complaint continued.

...


“Every day I can’t believe that happened. … It’s like a nightmare I am trying to wake up from,” Reynolds said in November. She said then that faith kept her going, particularly as it became increasingly hard to find work.

Reynolds was working at a hotel in downtown St. Paul when Castile, her boyfriend of three years, was killed. She subsequently lost her job and hadn’t been able to find stable employment. She said in November that she suspected it was because people recognized her.

http://www.twincities.com/2017/03/0...irlfriend-arrested-in-alleged-hammer-assault/


Okay. I am having a hard time connecting the initial tragedy and the subsequent behavior. However, having lost my 17yo son, I am not so quick to judge, and I certainly can understand, grief, anger and the rage against the world that can follow. It scars you for life.

That being said, how is protecting her child from the outfall not what she is clinging to here? This cat fight gangsta ***** BS is so high school.. That's the part I don't get. I don't get it at all.

If she is not strong enough to put her child first, and guide and protect her daughter through the cumulative tragedy, her daughter is better off with somebody to love and care for her besides her mama. I sympathize, but its not about her. Its about her little girl.

:twocents:

watergirl62 said:

Okay. I am having a hard time connecting the initial tragedy and the subsequent behavior. However, having lost my 17yo son, I am not so quick to judge, and I certainly can understand, grief, anger and the rage against the world that can follow. It scars you for life.

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Snipped and bolded for focus.

I am not sure why there could be necessarily ANY connection to DR's current hammer attack, and what happened with PC last summer? Although as I posted long ago, I do think DR's actions strongly contributed to what happened with PC. (But this is not the thread for that.)

I don't think experiencing the situation with PC and his death last summer is any kind of justification for conspiring, organizing, premeditating, and attacking this woman with a hammer. I don't think any jury will see it as anything other than what it is-- a premeditated, very violent attack with a hammer. The victim, frankly, is very lucky to be alive and not permanently mentally impaired.

I happen to think DR's actions are simply violent and criminal in and of themselves, demonstrating a callous disregard for another person's safety, and a great deal of premeditation. I think she's going to go to prison for that for a very long time, and eventually lose her parental rights to her daughter, as well. I think it's more than possible that additional charges could be brought, also.

If you are going in the direction of some kind of mental health justification for DR's criminal behavior, I'm sure her attorneys will try to present "mental health" as much as they can-- without specifically referencing Philando Castile, which I think the judge absolutely will not allow. They will likely present her as experiencing "trauma" and "difficulties" that caused her to act "impulsively".

However, DR's actions in no way will meet any legal criteria for a mental health defense. Too much premeditation evidence, and consciousness of guilt to claim a mental health defense, which requires the perpetrator to not understand right from wrong. She will go to prison for this, IMO.

Currently, DR has an attorney who says she will plead not guilty today.

According to Diamond's Reynolds attorney Mike Padden, the girlfriend of Philando Castile plans to plead not guilty to the two felony counts related to an alleged assault with a hammer.

Padden said in a statement Sunday, "At some point, perhaps Monday, Ms. Reynolds will be entering a not guilty plea. It is her contention she has no involvement with this assault in any way, shape, or form."

The attackers fled the scene before police arrived.

The attack was an apparent aftershock from a Feb. 9 fight involving the victim's friend.

An eyewitness at the scene corroborated much of the victim's story.

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http://kstp.com/news/attorney-says-d...ammer/4417231/

I think with the social media evidence of premeditation, harassment, and threats toward the victim, combined with eyewitness accounts, and the identification of the 3 perpetrators by the victim in a photo lineup while in the hospital, it will be impossible for DR to defend herself as not guilty. She's definitely going to prison for this, IMO.

Here is the complaint:

http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repositor..._Complaint.pdf

To me one of the sad things is that her actions will be used to paint a broad brush over people. I think a lot of people get schadenfreude from her pathetic narcisstic life

Bail lowered in Diamond Reynolds case from $90K to $40K.

Judge sets $40K bail for Diamond Reynolds in last week's hammer attack

A judge on Monday set bail at $40,000 for Diamond Reynolds, who live-streamed the aftermath of her boyfriend Philando Castile’s fatal encounter with police last year and is now charged in an unrelated assault case.

“I do have public safety concerns,” Ramsey County District Court Judge Thomas Gilligan Jr. said before he announced his bail decision, calling the charges “very serious allegations.”

Assistant Washington County Attorney Siv Yurichuk asked Monday for $40,000 bail with no conditions for Reynolds, or, $25,000 bail with conditions that Reynolds have no contact with the victim, Blair or Richardson.

Yurichuk argued that the planning that went into the attack and its nature presented a public safety concern.

“It happened in broad daylight,” she said, adding that although only three women were charged in the case, two cars with 7 to 8 people pulled up to the victim.

Reynolds’ mother and several supporters left court Monday with no comment.

“We’re gonna work on it,” Adams Powell said of bailing Reynolds out of jail.

Adams Powell said that Reynolds will eventually plead not guilty to the charges. She is due back in court on April 3.

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http://www.startribune.com/judge-se...nolds-in-last-week-s-hammer-attack/415504604/

She live-streamed Philando Castile’s death. Now she’s accused of attacking someone with a hammer.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...someone-with-a-hammer/?utm_term=.709cfe050c1c

K_Z said:

Snipped and bolded for focus.

I am not sure why there could be necessarily ANY connection to DR's current hammer attack, and what happened with PC last summer? Although as I posted long ago, I do think DR's actions strongly contributed to what happened with PC. (But this is not the thread for that.)

I don't think experiencing the situation with PC and his death last summer is any kind of justification for conspiring, organizing, premeditating, and attacking this woman with a hammer. I don't think any jury will see it as anything other than what it is-- a premeditated, very violent attack with a hammer. The victim, frankly, is very lucky to be alive and not permanently mentally impaired.

I happen to think DR's actions are simply violent and criminal in and of themselves, demonstrating a callous disregard for another person's safety, and a great deal of premeditation. I think she's going to go to prison for that for a very long time, and eventually lose her parental rights to her daughter, as well. I think it's more than possible that additional charges could be brought, also.

If you are going in the direction of some kind of mental health justification for DR's criminal behavior, I'm sure her attorneys will try to present "mental health" as much as they can-- without specifically referencing Philando Castile, which I think the judge absolutely will not allow. They will likely present her as experiencing "trauma" and "difficulties" that caused her to act "impulsively".

However, DR's actions in no way will meet any legal criteria for a mental health defense. Too much premeditation evidence, and consciousness of guilt to claim a mental health defense, which requires the perpetrator to not understand right from wrong. She will go to prison for this, IMO.

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Justification? Oh, hell no. Just a rational mind trying to connect dots along the path of this woman's life. She needs to go to prison for this. Anyone who takes a hammer to somebody else's skull deserves to be punished, no matter what their twisted motivation might be.

human said:

To me one of the sad things is that her actions will be used to paint a broad brush over people. I think a lot of people get schadenfreude from her pathetic narcisstic life

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Truth.

human said:

To me one of the sad things is that her actions will be used to paint a broad brush over people. I think a lot of people get schadenfreude from her pathetic narcisstic life

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I agree. You think that before executing such an insane plan, she would have stopped and thought "People are already judging my every action. This is not going to look good come trial when I have to get on the stand and testify as the star witness."?

How selfish and just PLAIN stupid can she be? She just gave everyone who is looking for justification to acquit Officer Yanez of all charges and blame Philando for his own death more ammunition to use against her and ultimately him.

Philando's parents must be so angry with her. She goes and does this after some evidence was released that might have worked in their favor.

Now I would put the chances of a jury holding Yanez accountable for Philando death at around 5% or lower. Even a hung jury seems farfetched.

I agree that that she will absolutely be convicted once her own trial rolls around.

Oh well. Lock her up and throw away the key. I'm beyond disgusted by this.

Well, PC's parents didn't much like her before she attacked the woman with the hammer. So I doubt they are any happier with her now. There was a public dispute between them about the donated money last summer, and they didn't have any nice things to say about her. I also get the sense that DR's daughter is not their grandchild/ PC's child. I don't think that PC's relatives want to have anything to do with DR and her child, beyond the contact they have with the court case.

So, what was DR "thinking" when she planned and carried out the hammer attack? Seriously?

Well, I don't think she was "thinking" about her daughter, how the hammer attack would affect her daughter, or how her daughter would feel about being separated from her mother for the rest of her childhood.

I think her daughter's needs, and her daughter's therapy, and everything about her daughter, was pretty far from her mind, until her daughter was a convenient thing to bring up to try to get a lower bail.

I think DR was pretty preoccupied thinking about the violent beatdown she was going to give the victim. Maybe DR was even hyped up on some illegal drugs or alcohol to giver her special courage and strength to carry out her plan? She does have a drug history. And maybe she was thinking about how she was going to "look" to the others in the 2 cars while she was beating the woman in the head with the hammer? Heck, maybe the beatdown was a gang initiation ceremony? Kind of like a job interview?

Who knows why these violent criminals justify their attacks in their minds. But one this is constant in court-- it's always someone else's fault. Never theirs. "I didn't do nothing" is a pretty constant refrain.

Before Gilligan’s decision, Reynolds’ attorney, Karlowba Adams Powell, argued that she be released with no bail on her own recognizance or in the care of her mother.

Adams Powell said that Reynolds’ 5-year-old daughter was undergoing “significant” therapy after witnessing Castile’s shooting on July 6, and that Reynolds had to attend the sessions because her daughter is a minor.

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http://www.startribune.com/judge-se...nolds-in-last-week-s-hammer-attack/415504604/

Diamond Reynolds Posts Bond, Record Reveals Previous Run-ins with Police

Reynolds attorney, Karlowba Adams Powell, argued in court Monday for a lower bail, saying Reynolds didn't have felony convictions or a violent history. Outside the courtroom, Adams Powell said Reynolds will ultimately enter a plea of not guilty.

However, a check of police records in St. Paul showed Reynolds has had several contacts with police either as a victim, suspect, witness or arrestee.

Reynolds was arrested in 2008 for assault with a dangerous weapon on Canton Street in St. Paul. The report in that incident says she and her mother, Dafina Dota, were in a room when a man was allegedly duct-taped, sodomized and beaten. Reynolds was arrested but later released. No charges were filed against either Reynolds or her mother, and they were deemed witnesses to that crime.

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The victim was taken to Region's Hospital with head injuries and has since been released.

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http://kstp.com/news/diamond-reynolds-bail-set-at-20000-with-conditions-ramsey-county-court/4418254/

Trouble just seems to follow this woman, right? It's never her fault, or that she makes bad decisions.

I hope the hammer attack victim knows she's out of jail, and hopefully the victim has left town permanently to try to start over somewhere else (but I doubt she has). There is no telling what DR and her friends might do to her if she's mad enough that she was caught. Glad she wasn't permanently damaged from the hammer attack, though.

Well, PC's parents didn't much like her before she attacked the woman with the hammer. So I doubt they are any happier with her now. There was a public dispute between them about the donated money last summer, and they didn't have any nice things to say about her. I also get the sense that DR's daughter is not their grandchild/ PC's child. I don't think that PC's relatives want to have anything to do with DR and her child, beyond the contact they have with the court case.

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Diamond's daughter is not Philando's child. They were only dating.

If his parents don't like her, I don't blame them. Especially now. She's atrocious.

So, what was DR "thinking" when she planned and carried out the hammer attack? Seriously?

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How is it incredulous to not understand what's going on in her head? It's hard to understand people this idiotic, so I see no reason why anyone else should immediately jump to the same conclusions as you. I get that you are eager to believe the absolute worst of her, but let me point out that you aren't in her head either.

Well, I don't think she was "thinking" about her daughter, how the hammer attack would affect her daughter, or how her daughter would feel about being separated from her mother for the rest of her childhood.

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Agreed.

Trouble just seems to follow this woman, right? It's never her fault, or that she makes bad decisions.

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I never said that. In fact I think they should upgrade the charge from felony assault to attempted murder. I can't see attacking someone with a hammer as a simple assault.

However, going by the transcripts of the audio evidence of the moments leading up to Philando's shooting , I don't think that they were completely in the wrong that particular time. I still do not think Philando deserved to be shot and killed and I still don't think the shooting was justified.

But I'm sure a jury will disagree with me. Especially when they bring up the fact that this moron has a criminal record involving multiple incidents of violence. I doubt they'll overlook these factors and focus solely on what the evidence indicates regarding this one specific incident.

She's completely annihilated her own credibility. Yanez will walk.

According to the criminal complaint, Reynolds and two other women are accused of attacking another woman. Reynolds is accused of hitting her with a hammer.

The case is being handled by the Washington County Attorney’s Office to avoid a conflict of interest with Ramsey County’s criminal case against St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez, who killed Castile during that traffic stop.

“Everything in that case that was on video is on video, so it speaks for itself. But whatever happened before that video was turned on comes down to two people: the officer and Ms. Reynolds,” Criminal defense attorney Joe Tamburino said.

Tamburino is not connected to the case, but says it’s all about timing.

“If Ms. Reynolds is convicted by the time of officer Yanez’s trial she could be what’s called impeached as a witness with her felony conviction. Impeachment means that you call into question the witness’ credibility,” he said.

Tamburino says the defense cannot challenge Reynolds’ testimony if she is not convicted.

“So if she’s not convicted by the time of the trial, they can’t use it. If she is convicted, they will use it, the defense,” he said.

Reynolds’ attorney Michael Padden said in a statement, “It is her contention she has no involvement with the assault in any way, shape, or form.”

Members of Black Lives Matter St. Paul were in court to support Reynolds.

Her next court appearance is set for April 3.

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http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/03/06/diamond-reynolds-plea-hammer-assault/

BBM.

Hearing for Diamond Reynolds in assault case continued to May

Reynolds' attorneys had previously said she would plead not guilty to charges that she assaulted another woman with a hammer, but her omnibus hearing on Monday was continued to May 3, and no pleas were entered.

Reynolds, 27, of West St. Paul, is charged in Ramsey County with second- and third-degree assault in connection with a Feb. 28 attack.

The Washington County attorney's office is prosecuting the case to avoid a conflict of interest with Ramsey County's criminal case against St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez, who killed Reynolds' boyfriend, Philando Castile, during a traffic stop last year.

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http://www.startribune.com/hearing-for-diamond-reynolds-in-assault-case-continued-to-may/418004933/

BBM

I saw a news clip about this, and it seems the sticking point on why DR didn't enter a plea is the cell phone evidence that has surfaced. The implications are that there is cell phone video of DR assaulting the woman with the hammer, and the defense is "waiting" to see how clear the video is before they decide "how" DR will plead. (ie, take a chance on a trial, vs guilty plea.)

IMO, she is going to have to plead guilty, and will get a prison sentence. However, it appears that she and her attorney are going to drag out the process as long as they can, so that when she is called to testify at the Yanez trial she will not have the official status of convicted violent felon. If they can possibly drag this out past the Yanez trial, she will plead and head off to prison with less of a "stigma" attached to her testimony during the Yanez trial. That's the goal, IMO-- there is no way she is going to avoid prison for her vicious hammer assault.

They improved her appearance significantly in the photo of the latest article above. Hair in a bun, 1" eyelashes, and business casual for her court appearance-- definitely not her usual "look". (But then, how do most people expect a violent hammer attacker to look?!)

This woman is an awful human being, IMO. I still think her confrontational attitude and mouthiness is partially responsible for PC's death, when the police officer was justifiably scared for what PC was reaching for (with clouds of MJ smoke obvious). If PC had been in his car alone, IMO he'd still be alive, and only facing DUI charges. My opinion-- others will vary.