Minneapolis police officer arrested in fatal shooting of Justine Damond

Prior Lake American

Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was arrested and charged Tuesday morning for his involvement in the fatal July 2017 shooting of Justine Damond Ruszczyk of Minneapolis.

Noor has been charged with one count of third-degree murder and one count of second-degree manslaughter. His bail is set at $500,000.

Damond was an Australian native who was engaged to Minneapolis resident Don Damond and often used his surname. He is the vice president and general manager of Little Six Casino in Prior Lake.

The attorney for the Damond family, Robert Bennett, released a statement on behalf of the Ruszczyk and the Damond families after the news of Noor's arrest was released: "Justine's family in Australia and the U.S. applaud today's decision to criminally charge Officer Noor with Justine's murder as one step toward justice for this iniquitous act."

According to the statement, the families waited over eight months while County Attorney Mike Freeman and his office's staff investigated the case to determine charges.

"We remain hopeful that a strong case will be presented by the prosecutor, backed by verified and detailed forensic evidence, and that this will lead to a conviction," they said. "No charges can bring our Justine back. However, justice demands accountability for those responsible for recklessly killing the fellow citizens they are sworn to protect, and today's actions reflect that."

On the night she died, Damond had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault near her home in the Fulton neighborhood in Minneapolis. She had approached the responding police car, manned by Noor and police officer Matthew Harrity, according to the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Harrity told investigators he heard a loud noise before Noor fired his weapon from the passenger seat, striking Damond in the abdomen through the driver's side window, according to the bureau. Noor and Harrity then attempted to provide medical attention until emergency responders arrived. Damond was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer's body cameras were not on at the time.

Only 11 days after the shooting, former Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo changed the department's body camera policy.

In response to the arrest, ACLU-MN Legal Director Teresa Nelson released a statement saying, “The charges against Officer Mohamed Noor are a step in the right direction. Justine Damond’s family and loved ones deserve accountability in her killing... Our expectation is that officers are held accountable when taking someone’s life and this should be true no matter the race of the victim or officer. People of color are disproportionately the victims of police violence and rarely see justice served. Though welcome and important, these charges cannot bring back Justine Damond nor can they alone mend the fractured relationship between police and communities.”

At the time of the shooting, Noor had been with the department for one year and nine months and Harrity had been with the department for one year, according to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Damond was a yoga instructor and meditation coach. She and Don Damond were supposed to be married in August.

The county attorney's office has scheduled a press conference for 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday regarding the case.

Editors Deena Winter and Rachel Minske contributed to this report.