Justine Damond shooting: police officer Mohamed Noor charged with murder
© Reuters Justine Damond, also known as Justine Ruszczyk, was from Sydney.
I firmly believe had she been black Noor would have been charged a long time ago.
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A Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed an Australian woman in July has been booked on charges of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Officer Mohamed Noor turned himself in on Tuesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest in the death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. Damond was shot on 15 July, minutes after she called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home.
The 40-year-old life coach was engaged to be married.
Damond’s family said in a written statement the charges were “one step toward justice”, and said they were pleased the Hennepin county attorney Mike Freeman had decided to bring charges. They said they hoped a strong case would be presented and Noor would be convicted.
“No charges can bring our Justine back,” they said. “However, justice demands accountability for those responsible for recklessly killing the fellow citizens they are sworn to protect, and today’s actions reflect that.”
Freeman was scheduled to discuss charges in the case at an afternoon news conference.
A policeman who was with Noor at the time of the shooting, Matthew Harrity, told investigators he was startled by a loud noise right before Damond approached the driver’s side window of their police SUV.
Harrity, who was driving, said Noor then fired his weapon from the passenger seat. Damond died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
The officers did not turn on their body cameras until after the shooting, and there was no squad camera video of the incident.
The lack of video was widely criticized, and Damond’s family members were among the many people who called for changes in procedure, including how often officers are required to turn on their cameras.
The shooting also prompted questions about the training of Noor, a two-year veteran and Somali American whose arrival on the force had been celebrated by city leaders and Minnesota’s large Somali community.
Noor, 32, had trained in business and economics and worked in property management before becoming an officer.
Noor has not talked publicly about the case and declined to be interviewed by state investigators.
If convicted of third-degree murder, he could face a maximum of 25 years in prison, though the presumptive sentence is 12 years. A judge could issue a sentence ranging from about 10 to 15 years.
The second-degree manslaughter charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, but the presumptive sentence is four years. The jail set bail at $500,000, according to jail records.
