Questions remain in fatal police shooting of Minneapolis bride-to-be
(Updated July 18) Originally from Australia, Justine Ruszczyk Damond, 40, an American citizen engaged to be married next month, called police late in the evening on July 15 to report a possible sexual assault going down in the alley behind her home in a South Minneapolis neighborhood. Police arrived on the scene, questioned Damond, and then shot her to death. As of this writing, there is no explanation from authorities as to why she was shot multiple times by police. According to a July 17 report from CNN, fiancé Don Damond said, “Sadly, her family and I have been provided with almost no additional information from law enforcement regarding what happened after police arrived.”
Although originally starting out to become a veterinarian, Ruszczyk made her mark as a popular yoga instructor and life coach employed by the Lake Harriet Spiritual Community in Minneapolis. CNN quoted her fiancé as saying, “It is difficult to fathom how to go forward without her in my life. Our hearts are broken and we are utterly devastated by the loss of Justine. She was a healer.”
Making matters worse and even more suspicious according to some, the police that responded to Damond’s 911 call were wearing body cameras – but those body cameras had not been activated. The police patrol car’s video unit was recording, but did not record the actual shootings.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Damond was wearing her pajamas when she went out to the patrol car to speak with the Minneapolis police when they arrived on the scene. The officer sitting in the passenger side of the police car “allegedly pulled his gun and shot Damond through the driver’s side door,” according to their report. KSTP-TV identified the officer that shot Damond as Mohamed Noor, “the first Somali-American police officer in his precinct and an immigrant to the U.S.” Noor, 31, still a relative police rookie, had only been on the force since 2015. In a separate report, KSTP-TV shared a statement released by Noor’s lawyer:
Officer Noor extends his condolences to the family and anyone else who has been touched by this event. He takes their loss seriously and keeps them in his daily thoughts and prayers. He came to the United States at a young age and is thankful to have had so many opportunities. He takes these events very seriously because, for him, being a police officer is a calling. He joined the police force to serve the community and to protect the people he serves. Officer Noor is a caring person with a family he loves and he empathizes with the loss others are experiencing.
On July 17, Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau tweeted that she “has requested an expedited external, independent investigation to ensure transparency,” according to CNN. A vigil sponsored by Women’s March Minnesota was held on Sunday in honor of Damond.
(Update) On the evening of July 17, The Washington Post reported that the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office declared that Damond died from a gunshot wound to her abdomen and that her death was ruled a homicide. Authorities still have not shared any details as to why she was shot.
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Written by: Ace News Today Staff
