Ramsey County Attorney John Choi is adding a veteran attorney with St. Paul roots to his office to review evidence in the death of Philando Castile, a move that has been both criticized and praised by activists and attorneys.
The decision to temporarily add Don Lewis as a special prosecutor is a compromise between Choi's desire to remain involved in the case and demands by the Castile family's attorney, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and others that he completely turn over the case to a special prosecutor.
Lewis will be "integral" in reviewing the investigation, said Choi, who has not decided whether he will present the case to a grand jury or decide himself whether the police officer who killed Castile on July 6 should be criminally charged.
Choi said he cannot completely defer the case to a special prosecutor, which the Minneapolis NAACP and more than 6,000 people who have signed an online petition are urging him to do.
"I understand that there is distrust of the system and some may question the ability of a prosecutor to hold police accountable when we rely on them to present cases to our office," Choi said. "However, if I handed this case off to any other person outside of the duties and authority of my office I would not only be abdicating my responsibility but potentially creating additional mistrust."
However, he said Lewis is an independent special prosecutor without law enforcement interests and will provide "transparency and confidence for the public."
The Minneapolis NAACP criticized the gesture for letting Choi "have it both ways."
"Because county attorneys in Minnesota work closely with local police to prosecute cases, there is an unavoidable conflict of interest in having them also investigate incidents when police kill the civilians they swore to serve and protect," said an NAACP statement. "This is a criticism of the system, not of Mr. Choi personally."