Fiancé of woman killed by Minneapolis cop is 'utterly devastated'

Prior Lake American

The woman shot by a Minneapolis police officer late Saturday night was the bride-to-be of Vice President and General Manager of Little Six Casino in Prior Lake, Don Damond. 

"Our hearts are broken and we are utterly devastated by the loss of Justine," Damond said during a press conference outside his home Monday afternoon. Damond said his fiance called 911 to report what she believed was an active sexual assault nearby before she was killed and her family has "been provided with almost no additional information regarding what happened after police arrived." 

Damond has worked as the Vice President and General Manager of Little Six Casino since February 2013, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before that, he worked as Director of Gaming and Operations at Mystic Lake Casino for nearly 12 years. 

ABOUT THE INCIDENT

According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, two Minneapolis police officers responded to a 911 call of a possible assault just north of the 5100 block of Washburn Avenue South in Minneapolis, shortly before 11:30 p.m. July 15. 

At one point, an officer fired their weapon, fatally striking the woman. The woman has been widely identified by media as Australia native and meditation coach Justine Damond. 

"The death of Justine is a loss to everyone who knew her," Damond said. "She touched so many people with her loving and generous heart. She was a teacher to so many in living a life of openness, love and kindness. Our lives are forever changed as a result of knowing her. She was so kind and so darned funny. She made us all laugh with her great wit and humor. It is difficult to fathom how to go forward without her in my life."

Damond's son, Zach, recounted the fatal incident in a video published to Facebook by Women's March Minnesota. 

"She heard a sound in the alley, so then she called the police and the cops showed up. She thought something bad was happening and then next thing I know, they take my best friend's life."

Justine was to be married to Damond in August. Justine's maiden last name was Ruszczyk, according to her personal Facebook page, although she used Damond on her professional website. 

The state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting and the preceding events and will prevent its findings to an attorney. 

"As previously reported, the officers’ body cameras were not turned on at the time of the incident and the squad camera did not capture the incident," the BCA said in a news release. "The BCA’s investigation does not determine whether a law enforcement agency policy was violated. That would be reviewed through the agency’s internal affairs process."

Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau issued a statement on Twitter Monday. 

"I want to acknowledge the pain and frustration that family and community members have following the fatal officer involved shooting Saturday night," she said. "This is clearly a tragic death." 

Damond asked for privacy for his family and said he would provide more statements in the future. 

Rachel Minske and Hannah Jones contributed to this report.