Fred

Profile Overview

On July 15, 2017, Justine Damond (née Ruszczyk), a 40-year-old Australian-American woman, was fatally shot by 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 attracted national and international press, exacerbated existing tensions over policing, and led to widespread street protests. Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau was forced to resign her post after facing substantial public criticism for her response to the deaths of Damond and Castile.
In 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. Noor was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison. Noor's conviction on third-degree murder was overturned by the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2021 and his sentence was revised to 4.75 years in prison, with credit for time served. Noor was released from custody on June 27, 2022, and was ordered to remain on supervised release until January 24, 2024.
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.