Justine Damond dies

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Justine Damond ( April 4, 1977 as Justine Maia Ruszczyk , † July 15, 2017 ) was an Australian - US citizen who had lived in the United States since 2015. On July 15, 2017, she was shot dead by Mohamed Noor , a Somali -US police officer, during a police operation in Minneapolis , Minnesota . The case intensified long-standing tensions in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area and aroused national and international media interest.

background

Justine Damond

Damond was born in Iran and grew up in Northern Beaches , a coastal area northeast of the Australian city of Sydney , where she attended Manly High School . As a result of her father, she also had US citizenship as a dual citizen. The University of Sydney , she left in 2002 with a Bachelor in Veterinary Medicine . Afterwards she worked as a spiritual healer and meditation trainer. At a neuroscience seminar in the United States, she met Don Damond, with whom she subsequently entered into a professional and then a personal relationship. The couple got engaged in late 2014, and Justine Damond moved to the United States in 2015. Even before the planned wedding, she had adopted the surname of her future husband.

Mohamed Noor

Mohamed Mohamed Noor (born October 20, 1985 in Qoryooley , Somalia ), Somali-American citizen, came to the United States as a child in the late 1980s with his family. He left Augsburg University with a degree in business administration and management and economics . He had been with the Minneapolis Police Department for 21 months at the time of the incident , and his partner Matthew Harrity, who drove the patrol car, had been working for a year. Although one of the largest Somali communities in the country is located in Minneapolis, Noor was only one of a few Somalis who worked as police officers; In the fifth control district, however, he was even the first, as the mayor of the time Betsy Hodges mentioned.

In the course of his career to date, three administrative complaints had been filed against Noor, two of which had not yet been finally investigated in July 2017. Among other things, he allegedly assaulted a woman in the course of his service in May of the same year. According to the daily Star Tribune , Noor had taken part in a shortened, seven-month police training course aimed at applicants who had already earned a college degree . While Janeé Harteau, acting police chief at the time, attested Noor good performance in the course and general suitability for police service, the MPD published a statement a week after the incident in which it denied the existence of a so-called "fast-track program".

In September 2018 it became known that two psychiatrists and several training officers from the Police Noor attested to a lack of fitness and low mental resilience. Two months before Justine Damond's death, Noor is said to have approached a driver with a gun drawn during a traffic control and then held it to his head.

incident

On 15 July 2017 chose Damond, now as a yoga teacher worked, at 23:27 the emergency . Damond testified that she heard a strange woman outside her home in the Fulton neighborhood . She apparently had just had sexual intercourse, although it was not clear whether it had been rape, and possibly yelled for help. At 23:35, Damond called the emergency control center again, as no emergency services had yet arrived on site. Finally, the officers Noor and Harrity drove down the affected side street with their patrol car, but could not find any evidence of criminal activity. Noor reported the result on the mission computer when his partner Harrity was startled by a "loud noise". Then suddenly Justine Damond was standing barefoot and unarmed at the window on the driver's side of the patrol car. Both officers had already drawn their service weapons, but while Harrity only kept them ready to fire, Noor fired once through the open window and hit the victim in the stomach. After unsuccessful cardiopulmonary resuscitation by the officers, Damond died on the spot.

Harrity later testified that "something" had "touched the official vehicle", they were both "scared" and "feared an ambush". Noor confirmed that he saw Damond's empty hands, but his partner “feared for his life” and “saw a threat”. After securing the crime scene, it was proven that Damond had never touched the vehicle. There were no audio or video recordings of the incident, also because neither officer had activated his body cam , which every police officer in Minneapolis had been wearing since 2016, but was not required to use in every situation.

Reactions

Matthew Harrity's attorney, Fred Bruno, expressed understanding that his client feared an ambush. He referred to an incident that had recently occurred in New York City in which a police officer was shot dead in her patrol car. Justine Damond's family was represented by Robert Bennett. This had already been hired by the relatives of the Afro-American Philando Castile. Jeronimo Yanez, a Hispanic American official with the MPD , had shot the 32-year-old Castile a year earlier during a traffic stop. After this crime, there were daily demonstrations against police violence in the city.

A vigil was held near her home just one day after Damond's death . On August 11, 2017, however, a memorial event took place on the shores of Lake Harriet , in which over 1,000 other people took part in addition to Don and Justine's families. The civil rights organization ACLU subsequently criticized the fact that both Harrity and Noor had not activated their body cams. Blue Lives Matter , an activist group made up of active and retired police officers, pointed out that the operation consisted only of searching a back street for a screaming person.

The Republican Michele Bachmann , who represented the state of Minnesota in the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2015 , spoke of an " affirmative action " regarding Mohamed Noor's employment with the Minnesota Police Department . Noor, who "comes from a country" where "veiling women with a hijab is part of the culture", could have shot Damond because of "their skin color and gender".

Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called for "answers". According to Turnbull, it should not be the case that an "unarmed woman who is in her pajamas" runs out onto the street and "requests the police's assistance," is shot.

Investigation and trial

According to statements by both officers, a woman is said to have touched the trunk of the patrol car, where fingerprints that did not match either Harrity or Noor were secured. The unknown loud noise that preceded the shot was not mentioned in the investigation report, nor was the identity of the female person who is said to have touched the trunk.

Investigators then obtained a search of Damond's living quarters for "body fluids, narcotics or weapons". The officials of the State Bureau of Investigation found no incriminating evidence against Justine Damond in the house. Noor made use of his right to refuse to testify, and both he and his partner Harrity were given leave of absence with full pay.

On March 20, 2018, an arrest warrant was issued against Noor for second-degree , third-degree and second-degree manslaughter. Noor then surrendered to the authorities and also announced the end of his work as a police officer for the MPD . However, he did not plead guilty of the crimes he was accused of.

On June 7, 2019, a mixed race jury found Mohamed Noor guilty on two of the three charges and sentenced him to twelve and a half years in prison. The maximum sentence for third degree murder is 25 years and that for second degree homicide is 10 years in prison.

Federal law of the state of Minnesota defines third degree murder as follows: When a person causes death through an act that threatens the life of another person without actually intending to kill . Second-degree manslaughter, on the other hand, is defined as follows: If culpable negligence deliberately causes death or injury to physical integrity .

Criticism of the sentence

The verdict on Noor, who became the first Minnesota Police Department officer to be sentenced to prison for murder, aroused both criticism and doubt among the population. Noor, a dark-skinned migrant and Muslim , would have been “treated to his disadvantage” because “the victim was white,” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights activist .

Waheid Siraach, a former police officer and co-founder of the Somali-American Police Association , found that Noor had not received sufficient police support due to his cultural background. Furthermore, the treatment of the incident could be compared with the opposite situation, in which a dark-skinned victim who was killed by a white person would also receive less public appreciation. For example, Lieutenant Bob Kroll from the MPD stated that he had supported Noor and his lawyers throughout the process.

Prosecutor Mike Freeman was accused of having weighted Noors' crime differently than comparable offenses by white police officers against dark-skinned people. Freeman denied treating defendants' skin color as a criterion influencing sentence.

The civil rights organization ACLU also wanted to have racist motives identified as the motive for Noor's sentence. The cases of Jeronimo Yanez against Philando Castile and of Michael Rosfeld against Antwon Rose were named for comparison, with both officials each having been acquitted. Yanez, a Hispanic American police officer, shot Castile, a black man, during a traffic stop. Castile, who had told the officer that he had a license to carry firearms, wanted to reach for his registration papers. Prior to that, he made Yanez aware that he had no plans to reach for the weapon he was carrying at the time. Yanez suspected a trick and shot Castile seven times.
For his part, Rosfeld also controlled a vehicle, which, however, matched the description of a car whose occupants had previously been involved in a shootout. While Rosfeld let the driver get out of the car, which also had bullet holes, Rose and another passenger ran away, apparently to avoid any possible arrest. Rosfeld shot three times at the 17-year-old, who was unarmed at the time and who later died of the injuries. Two handguns were subsequently seized in the vehicle, video recordings showed the second passenger who had shot from the car at a person on the street. At Roses hands were gunshot residue evidence on a 9-mm pistol under the passenger seat was his DNA , in his pocket there was a blank, to belonging magazine.

Aftermath

At the time of the incident, Police Commissioner Janeé Harteau, named one of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune Magazine in 2017, was on vacation and only returned to Minneapolis four more days. After her return she expressed her regret over Justine Damond's death and Mohamed Noor's silence at a press conference. A few days later, she abruptly resigned from her position. Parts of the population had massively criticized their handling of the incident, Mayor Hodges expressed her distrust of Harteau's leadership qualities. Betsy Hodges herself also felt the consequences when she missed re-election in November 2017.

Harteau's successor Medaria Arradondo subsequently ordered that from now on every MPD officer must activate his or her body cam during operations of any kind.

In May 2019, Justine Damond's family and the City of Minneapolis reached an out-of-court settlement. The family received 20 million US dollars , the most expensive to date comparison of the city. Two million dollars were to be donated to a charity fighting gun violence in Minneapolis.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Justine Maia Ruszczyk Damond , findagrave.com, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  2. ↑ Woman killed by Minneapolis police a month before wedding , cnn.com, accessed May 31, 2020.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h Police chief resigns after gunshots on unarmed woman , spiegel.de, accessed on May 31, 2020
  4. ↑ 'She was just infectious': friends mourn Sydney woman killed in US police shooting , smh.com.au, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  5. ↑ Australian Justine Damond shot dead by US police in Minneapolis , theguardian.com, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  6. ↑ a b Mohamed Noor's story began in Somalia, an ocean away , startribune.com, accessed on June 1, 2020 (English)
  7. ↑ Minneapolis police officer charged with murder, manslaughter in Justine Damond case , twincities.com, accessed May 31, 2020
  8. ↑ Noor, Mohamed , hennepinattorney.org, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English; PDF)
  9. ↑ a b c d Somali immigrant cop Mohamed Noor, who shot Justine Damond, was 'highly celebrated' by Minneapolis mayor in 2015 , foxnews.com, accessed May 31, 2020
  10. ↑ a b c d e f Australian woman calls emergency number and is shot , stern.de, accessed on May 31, 2002
  11. ↑ Witness calls the police and is shot by officers , welt.de, accessed on May 31, 2020
  12. ↑ Cop who killed bride-to-be had three complaints against him , nypost.com, accessed June 1, 2020
  13. ↑ Fast-track training put officer Mohamed Noor on Minneapolis police force , startribune.com, accessed on May 31, 2020
  14. ↑ Justine Damond's shooter officer Mohamed Noor cast out by Minneapolis Police Department , news.com.au, accessed May 31, 2002
  15. ↑ There is No “Fast-Track” Training Option for MPD Officers , insidempd.com, accessed May 31, 2020
  16. ↑ a b Filing: Mohamed Noor raised red flags among psychiatrists, training officers , startribune.com, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  17. ↑ a b c d e US city pays Australian woman's survivors $ 20 million , spiegel.de, accessed on May 31, 2020
  18. ↑ Ruszczyk's 911 call audio: Deep breath, worried voice , mprnews.org, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  19. ↑ Australian Justine Damond Shot Dead by Minneapolis Officer Called 911 Twice , nbcnews.com, accessed on May 31, 2020
  20. ↑ A 911 Call, an Unarmed Woman and a Single Shot: The Mystery of a Police Shooting , nytimes.com, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  21. ↑ Justine Damond: 911 call transcripts reveal series of events that led to fatal shooting of Australian woman , independent.co.uk, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  22. ↑ a b c d Officer Heard Loud Noise Before Partner Shot Minneapolis Woman, Officials Say , nytimes.com, accessed May 31, 2020
  23. ↑ Partner of Mohamed Noor: Feared ambush before Justine Damond shot , twincities.com, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  24. ↑ a b Witness in Justine Damond shooting comes forward, source says part of encounter was filmed , smh.com.au, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  25. ↑ A Former Minnesota Cop Dramatically Testified About The Moment He Shot And Killed An Unarmed Australian Woman , buzzfeednews.com, accessed May 31, 2020
  26. ↑ Noor trial: Closing arguments done, case goes to jury , mprnews.org, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  27. ↑ Australian Woman Shot Dead by Minneapolis Police Officer After Calling 911 Herself , nbcnews.com, accessed May 31, 2020
  28. ↑ Good Question: What Are The Policies On Body Cameras In Minneapolis? , cbslocal.com, accessed May 31, 2020
  29. ↑ Justine Damond shooting: US lawyer hits back at officer's ambush claims , theguardian.com, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  30. ↑ 911 call transcript offers glimpse into Justine Damond's final moments before fatal shooting by Minneapolis police , startribune.com, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  31. ↑ Sage, smoke, and questions: Justine Damond remembered at moving memorial , smh.com.au, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  32. ↑ a b "The Most Innocent Victim" , slate.com, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  33. ↑ Fireworks may have startedled Justine Damond's killer, US police officer Mohamed Noor , smh.com.au, accessed on May 31, 2020
  34. ↑ Warrant: Woman slapped squad car before cop fatally shot Ruszczyk , mprnews.org, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  35. ↑ Experts baffled why investigators searched Justine Damond's house for DNA, weapons and drugs after she was shot dead by a US police officer , dailymail.co.uk, accessed May 31, 2020
  36. ↑ Prosecution's case against Noor takes a hit with restrictions on trial evidence , startribune.com, accessed on May 31, 2020
  37. ↑ Minneapolis officer says partner fired shot that killed Australian woman moments after loud sound , latimes.com, accessed May 31, 2020
  38. ↑ Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor turns himself in on murder, manslaughter charges in Justine Damond killing , startribune.com, accessed on May 31, 2020
  39. ↑ The trial of ex-cop Mohamed Noor: What you need to know , mprnews.org, accessed on June 1, 2020 (English)
  40. ↑ a b c d e A Black Officer, a White Woman, a Rare Murder Conviction. Is It 'Hypocrisy,' or Justice? , nytimes.com, accessed June 1, 2020
  41. ↑ Justine Damond: US policeman jailed for Australian's murder , bbc.com, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  42. ↑ Somali-American Police Officer Sentenced to 12.5 Years in Death of Minneapolis Woman , nytimes.com, accessed May 31, 2020
  43. ↑ Twelve jurors, 24 hours, two guilty verdicts: the inside story of the Justine Ruszczyk trial , 9news.com.au, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  44. ↑ a b c d What Officer Noor's Conviction Says About Racism in America , aclu.org, accessed June 4, 2020
  45. ↑ a b Police shooting of unarmed youth in East Pittsburgh sparks outrage , post-gazette.com, accessed June 4, 2020
  46. ↑ a b Unarmed Teenager Antwon Rose Shot 3 Times In Back While Fleeing Police , huffingtonpost.com, accessed June 4, 2020
  47. ↑ a b Police Killing of Antwon Rose, 17, in East Pittsburgh Prompts Protests , nytimes.com, accessed June 4, 2020.
  48. ↑ Teen inside car with Antwon Rose arrested, charged with attempted homicide in North Braddock shooting , wtae.com, accessed June 4, 2020
  49. ↑ Witnesses: Rosfeld was crying, shaking, panicking, distraught after shooting Rose , triblive.com, accessed on June 4, 2020 (English)
  50. ↑ An authentic and adaptive leader. , janeeharteau.com, accessed May 31, 2020
  51. ↑ Justine Damond death: Minneapolis police chief Janee Harteau awarded , smh.com.au, accessed on May 31, 2020 (English)
  52. ↑ Minneapolis Police Chief Harteau: 'Justine didn't have to die' , twincities.com, accessed May 31, 2020.
  53. ↑ Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau resigns; protesters shout down Mayor Betsy Hodges , startribune.com, accessed May 31, 2020
  54. ↑ In Mayor Betsy Hodges' re-election loss, Minneapolis voters were 'looking for something different' , startribune.com, accessed on May 31, 2020
  55. ↑ Did a policy aimed at building trust in the Minneapolis Police Department end up doing the opposite? , minnpost.com, accessed May 31, 2020