United States News
See other United States News Articles
Title: Former police officer found guilty of third-degree murder in woman's shooting death
Source:
ABC News
URL Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/police-of ... alian-womans/story?id=62736778
Published: May 1, 2019
Author: Enjoli Francis
Post Date: 2019-05-01 05:19:46 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 1741
Comments: 14
A former Minneapolis police officer has been found guilty of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the July 2017 shooting death of an unarmed woman who had called police to her home to investigate a possible attack outside. Jurors read the verdict against former officer Mohamed Noor in the death of 40-year-old Justine Ruszczyk Damond of Australia on Tuesday afternoon. Noor was found not guilty of the top charge of second-degree murder. "We are satisfied with the outcome," Justine's father, John Ruszczyk, said outside the courthouse following the verdict. "The jury's decision reflects the community's commitment to three important pillars of a civil society: The rule of law, the respect for the sanctity of life and the obligation of the police force to serve and protect." Noor's lawyer, Tom Plunkett, said he had no comment following the verdict. On July 15, 2017, Damond had called 911 to report what she feared was a woman being sexually assaulted behind her home in the city's Fulton neighborhood, according to a criminal complaint. "I can hear someone out the back and I -- I'm not sure if she's having sex or being raped," Damond could be heard telling the 911 operator, according to a transcript released by police. When Noor and partner Matthew Harrity arrived in a dark alley behind her home, she approached the driver's side of the squad car, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Noor, who was in the passenger seat of the squad car, shot Damond through the open window on the driver's side after he and Harrity were "spooked" by a noise, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said. After the gunshot went off, Harrity, who was sitting in the driver's seat, saw Noor's arm stretched across him, toward the open window, Freeman said. Four minutes after Damond had left her home, an officer was performing CPR on her. She died just three weeks before her wedding day. There was "no evidence of a threat" when Damond fired the shot, Freeman said. Noor, a two-year veteran at the time of the shooting, had pleaded not guilty to the charges. Damond, who had moved to the U.S. a few years earlier, was an Australian yoga teacher, counselor and meditation coach. After the shooting, hundreds of people marched in the streets demanding justice for her death. During Noor's trial, prosecutors had argued that the former officer violently gunned Damond down through the open driver's side window when she appeared on the side of the squad car, claiming he abused his authority to use deadly force. Defense attorneys, however, had claimed that Damon startled the officers by banging on the car as she approached. They argued that when she raised her arm, Noor made a split-second decision to protect his partner. Noor's attorney maintained that he'd "acted as he has been trained" and that he should "not have been charged with any crime." Noor's last day as an employee with the police department was in March 2018, but Minneapolis police would not comment on whether he resigned or was fired.
Stephen Govel Photography/Reuters, FILE
David Joles/Star Tribune via AP
Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP, File
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: Deckard (#0)
I agree. It was a tragic accident. Dark alley, violent felon in the area, a thump on the car, suddenly someone appears out of nowhere without warning. BTW, did they ever find the rapist or the woman being raped?
an outright murderer he should have been charged with first degree, he had time to think it was a premedicated act
Hmmm. Then what would you charge him with had he followed her from the house, stalked her, then shot her in the back of the head? Same thing? You see no difference? What a drama queen.
Out of "nowhere"?? As in, walking up to a police car? If it can be considered reasonable to shoot someone for walking up to a police car, then police cars simply need to be taken off the roads as they simply have no place in a civilized society. It's as simple as that.
If he shot someone who was simply walking up to a police car, why wouldn't he be charged with first degree murder? Unless, of course, you're misrepresenting what actually happened.
Out of nowhere without warning. She came up behind the police car while it was parked in a dark alley, banged on the side of the car, suddenly appeared at the driver's side window, and raised her arm.
I didn't make the representation that "suddenly someone appears out of nowhere without warning". Hmmm, you say it was "without warning" while also saying that she "banged on the side of the car". Has it ever occurred to you that the banging on the car would have served as a "warning" (or of course since she was not armed and approaching on good pretenses, actually a "notice") of her presence? Or would you think it more appropriate for her to NOT bang the car and simply appear at the driver side door? This is the kind of overwhelming and obvious pro-cop bias that you put on display here for all to see. All but you. As I said, if simply walking up to a police car is enough to give a cop just cause to shoot them dead, then police cars need to be banned. It's as simple as that. They are an inherrent danger to the community.
She came up behind them, at night, in a dark alley, without saying anything. And that was after telling the dispatcher that there was a violent felon in the area. "Has it ever occurred to you that the banging on the car would have served as a "warning". Actually, that could have been her intention. However, that's not how it was interpreted.
Didn't he shot her from inside his vehicle right in front of his partner(which im sure pissed off his partner)? From everything I have read he was too quick to shoot. It was the officer's fault and it was the police departments fault for allowing 2 rookies to be together. Which in the end is the politicians fault because when you let lefties run things they just ruin things!
"Socialism corrupts and Democratic Socialism corrupts Absolutely"!
He was on the passenger side and his partner was the driver. She approached the police car from behind on the driver's side. When she was next to his partner and raised her arm, he reached across in front of his partner and fired. I'm guessing it did piss off his partner. "From everything I have read he was too quick to shoot." Would you say that if she had been an armed violent felon about to shoot his partner? Oh, wait. By now you know she wasn't. Are you assuming the cops knew that at the time?
But of course. What she should have done is realized that approaching a police car "from behind" with 2 people inside that advertise "To protect and to serve" was potentially suicidal. Never EVER walk up to a police car "from behind" as that is an inherent threat to the public servants that are inside. Yes, by all means, she should have first called 911 on her cell phone, got the dispatcher on the line and informed the agent that she was outside and about to walk up to a police car so the dispatcher could radio in that a person would be walking up "from behind" the car and that the person doing so was likely the person on the phone. She should have then have shouted out to the cops her name, rank and serial number to confirm her identity so the cops would have reason to not fear the person quite so much. She should have then lit up a lantern so the cops could see that she was still in her pajamas. Then, of course, to avoid walking up to the police car "from behind" -- which everyone is taught from a young age to NEVER EVER do -- she should have walked around the car keeping a wide distance, all while announcing her presence and identiy and never letting her lantern fail to illuminate her face and body, proceeded to well in front of the car. If need be, that would entail walking around the block first, in her pajamas and of course with a potential rapist in the area. Only then, once in position *in front* of the police car, could she safely approach it always keeping both hands visible at all times, including teh hand holding the lantern -- some people recommend putting the lantern in one's mouth, if need be, so that both hands can be illuminated properly. She should also turn 360 degrees with hands illuminated, within the beams of the headlights of the police car so that the public servants can see she has no gun stuffed in the waist band of her pajamas, (at least visibly), THEN ask for permission to approach the police car "from the front". Then upon reaching the window of the police car, if she smirks or laughs, she can be properly blown away.
I would expand that to "never ever sneak up on a police car from behind, at night, in a dark alley, when they're looking for a violent and possibly armed rapist". But I thought that would go without saying. "she should have walked around the car keeping a wide distance, all while announcing her presence and identity and never letting her lantern fail to illuminate her face and body." There you go.
I'm not a drama queen if you are guilty of murder, then first degree
They have "degrees" of murder for a reason. Not all are the same. Plus, this wasn't murder.
Noor's attorney maintained that he'd "acted as he has been trained" and that he should "not have been charged with any crime."
#2. To: Deckard (#0)
#3. To: paraclete (#2)
an outright murderer he should have been charged with first degree
#4. To: misterwhite (#1)
suddenly someone appears out of nowhere without warning.
#5. To: Pinguinite (#4)
If it can be considered reasonable to shoot someone for walking up to a police car
#6. To: Pinguinite (#4)
Out of "nowhere"??
#7. To: misterwhite (#5)
Unless, of course, you're misrepresenting what actually happened.
Out of nowhere without warning. She came up behind the police car while it was parked in a dark alley, banged on the side of the car, suddenly appeared at the driver's side window, and raised her arm.
#8. To: Pinguinite (#7)
Hmmm, you say it was "without warning" while also saying that she "banged on the side of the car".
#9. To: misterwhite (#1)
#10. To: Justified (#9)
Didn't he shot her from inside his vehicle right in front of his partner(which im sure pissed off his partner)?
#11. To: misterwhite, Justified (#10)
She approached the police car from behind on the driver's side.
#12. To: Pinguinite (#11)
Never EVER walk up to a police car "from behind" as that is an inherent threat to the public servants that are inside.
#13. To: misterwhite (#3)
What a drama queen.
#14. To: paraclete (#13)
I'm not a drama queen if you are guilty of murder, then first degree
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]