Update - Officer who fatally shot Justine Damond (Australian) charged with murder, turns himself in

Officer who fatally shot Justine Damond charged with murder, turns himself in

The Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an Australian woman in July was charged with murder Tuesday after he turned himself in when a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Officer Mohamed Noor turned himself in on Tuesday in connection to the 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. his attorney confirmed.
.....

Damond was shot July 15, minutes after calling 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home. The 40-year-old life coach’s death drew international attention, cost the police chief her job and forced major revisions to the department’s policy on body cameras.

Click link for full article...

As I said investigations can take a long time. Keep in mind that just because he was charged does not mean he will be found guilty. The PA in this instance think they have a good case though so we shall see what happens.

Part of me wonders if this is just an action to quell the international dissent this caused.

Stay tuned...


ATS threads on the topic -
* - ATS - Minneapolis Officer Mohamed Noor & Partner Are Lying. - Update
* - ATS - Australian Justine Damond shot dead by US police in Minneapolis

(Thanks for the idea Shamrock)

The manslaughter charge sounds about right. Despite my own personal feelings about the behavior of the DA at various points of this investigation, I'm glad to see he didn't go overboard and charge with 1st degree murder or something.

Charge what you have a shot at proving, not at what gets headlines.

a reply to: Xcathdra

Not alot of info in that article but from what is there it sounds like a shoot first and ask questions later thing..

I am sure he will be found not guilty because he feared for his life from the loud noise he heard..

originally posted by: notsure1
a reply to: Xcathdra

Not alot of info in that article but from what is there it sounds like a shoot first and ask questions later thing..

I am sure he will be found not guilty because he feared for his life from the loud noise he heard..

Totality of circumstances. The officer who shot Damond cited the shooting ambush of 2 officers in New York City that occurred sometime before this shooting. They can only look at what the officer perceived when deadly force was used at the time.

Everything we discuss on this topic only came out after the fact.

As for guilt I would have to agree. I dont think the officer will be found guilty. With that said I really have not seen anything from the other officer who was with him. It might have something to do with the officer being new and on field training at the time.

Can't wait for the storm of people crying racism because the officer is black.

It will probably be from the same people that bash cops on a daily basis.

a reply to: Xcathdra

The officer who shot Damond cited the shooting ambush of 2 officers in New York City that occurred sometime before this shooting

Being a cop is allready a HIGH STRESS, never know whats gonna happen, never know whos gonna try and kill you, everbody hates you, everybody has a gun and hates you kind of job.

So being able to say some cops getting ambushed in another state made him more stressed out so he has to just start shooting at loud noises all of a sudden and probably be found not guilty because of it is just a crok of shi..

IMO of course..

a reply to: Xcathdra

According to the warrant, Officer Harrity told investigators that he heard a noise that startled him and Officer Noor. Harrity said he perceived that his life was in danger and unholstered his gun, holding it to his rib cage, pointing it downward. He told investigators Damond approached their squad car from the rear driver's side then saw Officer Noor with his right arm extended. Harrity looked out the window and saw a woman, later identified as Damond, put her hands on a gunshot wound on the left side of her abdomen and say, "I'm dying" or "I'm dead," the warrant states.

Supposed to be a presser this afternoon at some point, wondering if they'll release the warrant after that or not. Apparently some outlets already have their hands on it, or portions of it.

originally posted by: abe froman
It will probably be from the same people that bash cops on a daily basis.

Yeah, the people who "bash" police by night and debate social justice issues on the internet by day.

Obviously you have a totally rational grasp of basic reality...

originally posted by: abe froman
Can't wait for the storm of people crying racism because the officer is black.

It will probably be from the same people that bash cops on a daily basis.

That already happened because the officer is Somali and Muslim if I'm not mistaken.

a reply to: Xcathdra

a reply to: Shamrock6

What, no rape charges? (he says in jest...because that whole thread was a joke)

I tend to agree with Sham about the manslaughter charge--Noor seems to have acted irrationally in that instance and it cost someone their life. Murder, though, will be very hard, and I'm betting that this is on the table in order to hopefully force a plea deal.

I hold no reservations about him being convicted of something in regards to her death, though. I don't think that this will be an instance of the LEO getting off this time.

ETA: Well, I may take that back, as I had forgotten about the ambush shooting a few days earlier, and how this was in the midst of a few of those happening across the country. This will be a wait-and-see, like usual, though, but I'm still not convinced that most reasonable officers would have fired their weapon in that instance. I can bet that a conviction of murder will not happen, though, and like I said, this will probably end with a plea deal, unless his lawyers really want to take that chance.

The fact that, even though his partner drew his firearm but didn't feel a need to fire like Noor did will not work in his favor--it most likely will show a lack of restraint that I would expect from an officer in that position, even understanding the overall circumstances.

A successful defense of blowing some person away is 'I heard a loud noise' will be up there with 'the glove doesn't fit'.

a reply to: notsure1

But you're not on the jury, and you're not privy to all of the evidence, nor do you have a judge giving you jury instructions as to what you need to consider in totality of the situation.

It's easy to have opinions at this point in the game--I have my own--but as with any potentially criminal action, state of mind and mitigating circumstances matter in a court of law.

But like you, I foresee a conviction of some criminal act in relation to her death, but I think that it will be in the form of a plea deal, and it certainly won't be murder.

#opinion

This is why I'll never visit America. Too many good innocent beings die at the hands of incompetent cops.

Man, this # rarely, if ever, happens here is Australia. But, we have higher standards of education and training before becoming a police officer.

I know it won't happen, but I hope he rots in jail for 20 years.

a reply to: ooder57


You realize that we have nearly 300 million more people (than Australia), across 9+ million Kilometers and when you actually look at the numbers the amount of innocent people killed by cops is statistically insignificant.

While that is cold comfort to the families of the slain, you are much more likely to be killed by a drunk driver, or someone paying to much attention to their cell phone and crashing into your vehicle.

ETA: Manslaughter is probably right, decent chance he gets off depends on who successfully stacks the jury I imagine.

a reply to: Irishhaf

I accept and understand your point.

However, the innocent deaths could have and can be avoided by removing firearms ownership and melting them all down.

Part of the reason so many innocents die (which population total doesnt matter, percentage of pops does), is because cops are afraid everyone is carrying a gun. So they tend to shoot first and ask questions later.

It's not just a population/education issue, it's fundamentally tied into american gun culture.

The reason cops in Australia, and other similar countries, rarely kill innocents, is because they are rarely confronted with a citizen carrying a gun.

a reply to: ooder57

Okay but nobody really cares about magic wand solutions to gun problems in America.

If we’re going to wish for things that will never happen we might as well wish for people to never use guns irresponsibly.

originally posted by: ooder57
a reply to: Irishhaf

However, the innocent deaths could have and can be avoided by removing firearms ownership and melting them all down.

No, it can not, and would not.

Part of the reason so many innocents die (which population total doesnt matter, percentage of pops does), is because cops are afraid everyone is carrying a gun. So they tend to shoot first and ask questions later.

No, they are not and do not. Statistics can be your friend on this one.

It's not just a population/education issue, it's fundamentally tied into american gun culture.

Guns are owned by about 20% of our population, and within that population of gun owners, about half only own one, maybe two firearms. This myth about a "gun culture" is absolutely incorrect--now, if you want to say that we have a freedom culture, you are absolutely correct, and most of us understand that just because some tragedies do happen, we should not be so ready to give up our freedoms that are protected from our government doing just that.

The reason cops in Australia, and other similar countries, rarely kill innocents, is because they are rarely confronted with a citizen carrying a gun.

This may be true, but then again, you guys gave up your ability to own guns (for the most part) as a knee-jerk reaction to a tragedy. The funny thing is, while your per-capita numbers are lower, gun murders have not gone away, there is a massively growing black market for firearms, and murders and assaults using things like bladed weapons are on the rise.

But as it pertains to policing, the LEO should be armed better or equivalent with the average bad guy, and in America, bad guys have some of the estimated 365,000,000 firearms that exist in our country.

Jefferson said it very well, and I quoted it in my signature block.

originally posted by: ooder57
This is why I'll never visit America. Too many good innocent beings die at the hands of incompetent cops.

If you want to avoid traveling here based on irrational fears of statistically non-existent happenings, that's up to you. I think that our country will be okay without your patronage and tourism.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Jefferson said it very well, and I quoted it in my signature block.

The possibility of a copper shooting me at point blank range for simply approaching their vehicle, is a "liberty" I can quite happily live without.

... Just saying.

a reply to: ooder57

You guys have drop bears.


I'll stick with the boom sticks.

The other solutions are to give cops body armor that makes them look like Robocop or pocket spy-cam quadropcopters that would let them see things close up or from behind.