Killing of Justine Damond

Killing of Justine Damond
Part of police brutality in the United States
Justine Damond
LocationWest 51st Street alley between Washburn and Xerxes avenues, Fulton, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Coordinates44°54′39″N 93°19′06″W / 44.91071°N 93.31823°W / 44.91071; -93.31823
DateJuly 15, 2017
11:41 p.m. CDT (UTC–5)[1]
Attack type
Homicide by firearm, manslaughter, police brutality
VictimJustine Maia Damond, aged 40
PerpetratorMohamed Mohamed Noor
Verdict
ConvictionsSecond-degree manslaughter
Charges
Sentence4+3⁄4 years in prison[2] (paroled after 3+1⁄6 years; originally 12+1⁄2 years in prison)
LitigationWrongful death lawsuit settled for $20 million

On July 15, 2017, Justine Damond (née Ruszczyk),[3] a 40-year-old Australian-American woman,[4] was fatally shot by 31-year-old Somali-American Minneapolis Police Department officer Mohamed Noor after she had called 9-1-1 to report the possible assault of a woman in an alley behind her house. Occurring weeks after a high-profile manslaughter trial acquittal in the 2016 police killing of Philando Castile, also in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, the shooting exacerbated existing tensions and attracted national and international press.[5]

In April 2019, Noor was tried before a jury on charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Noor claimed self defense. The jury convicted Noor of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, but he was acquitted on the charge of intentional second degree murder.[6] In June 2019, Noor was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison.[7] Noor's conviction on third-degree murder was overturned by the Minnesota Supreme Court on September 15, 2021.[8] In October 2021, his sentence was revised to 4.75 years in prison, with credit for time served.[2] Noor was released from custody on June 27, 2022, and was ordered to remain on supervised release until January 24, 2024.[9]

Damond's family brought a civil lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis alleging violation of Damond's civil rights, which the city settled for US$20 million in 2019.[10][7]

  1. ^ "Damond timeline highlights two mystery minutes after police arrived". ABC News. July 20, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Collin, Jon and Matt Sepic, "Ex-cop Noor set for June release after resentence in Ruszczyk killing", Minnesota Public Radio News, October 21, 2021
  3. ^ Ellis, Euan McKirdy,Ralph (July 18, 2017). "Woman killed by Minneapolis police a month before wedding". CNN. Retrieved July 20, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Eligon, John (May 3, 2019). "A Black Officer, a White Woman, a Rare Murder Conviction. Is It 'Hypocrisy,' or Justice?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
    - Jackson, Joey (May 3, 2019). "Mohamed Noor's sentence raises uncomfortable questions about race". CNN. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  5. ^ Laughland, Oliver (July 18, 2017). "Minneapolis officer who shot Justine Damond offers condolences". The Guardian. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
    - "Justine Damond fatally shot through door of Minneapolis police car, sources say". BBC News. July 18, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
    - Mitchell, Peter (July 18, 2017). "Police officer who shot Justine Damond had less than two years' experience". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  6. ^ Smith, Mitch (April 30, 2019). "Minneapolis Police Officer Convicted of Murder in Shooting of Australian Woman". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Matt Furber and Mitch Smith (June 7, 2019). "Somali-American Police Officer Sentenced to 12.5 Years in Death of Minneapolis Woman". New York Times.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Former Minneapolis Police officer Mohamed Noor released from custody after over 3 years behind bars". CNN. June 27, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  10. ^ Forliti, Amy (May 4, 2019). "'Not a victory to anyone': Damond's family awarded $US20 million". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved May 4, 2019.