Australian Woman Shot Dead by Minneapolis Police Officer After Calling 911 Herself
An Australian woman described as a spiritual healer was shot dead by police in Minneapolis on Saturday after she reportedly called 911 herself — leaving angry friends and family searching for answers in a city that has just been at the center of another high-profile police shooting.
The killing of Justine Ruszczyk, who used the last name Damond, prompted hundreds of mourners to protest at the site of the shooting Sunday, demanding their questions be answered, according to NBC affiliate KARE.
Damond, 40, ran meditation workshops at the Lake Harriet Spiritual Community, which in a Facebook post called her "one of the most loving people you would ever meet."
Damond died shortly before midnight on Saturday of a gunshot wound to the abdomen, the Hennepin County medical examiner's office said Monday night. The officer who fired the shot was identified Monday afternoon as Mohammed Noor, multiple police sources told KARE. The police department has not officially confirmed the identification as its investigation continues.
Noor, who joined the force in 2015, was celebrated as the Fifth Precinct's first Somali officer, and he was recognized in May 2016 by Mayor Betsy Hodges, who called his assignment a "wonderful sign of building trust and community policing at work."
Noor's lawyer, Tom Plunkett, said in a statement to KARE that 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."
Plunkett described Noor, who arrived in the United States as a child, as someone who views his job as a calling to protect and serve.
"He is a caring person with a family he loves and he empathizes with the loss others are experiencing," Plunkett said.
Plunkett added: "The current environment for police is difficult, but Officer Noor accept this as part of his calling. We would like to say more, and will in the future."
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said it was investigating, although there appeared to be no video because the officers' body cameras were switched off.
The police department said the squad car's camera also failed to capture the incident. The BCA does not investigate whether or not officers violated a department policy, such as activating body cameras. Instead, that will be left to the Minneapolis Police Department to investigate internally.
Both officers have been placed on standard administrative leave, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement to NBC News that it was "providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian woman who died in a shooting in Minneapolis." It did not comment further, citing privacy concerns.
The tragedy unraveled shortly after 11:30 p.m. Saturday local time (12:30 a.m. Sunday ET), when the police officers responded to call about a disturbance in southwest Minneapolis, officials said.
According to KARE's sources, Noor shot across his partner, who was "stunned." Noor has two open complaints from 2017 and 2016, KARE reported.
In a statement posted to the Minneapolis Police Department's Twitter page, Chief Janeé Harteau said she "acknowledged the pain and frustration that family and community members" felt after the shooting.
"I also want to assure you that I understand why so many people have so many questions at this point. I have many of the same questions and it is why we immediately asked for an external and independent investigation into the officer-involved shooting death," Harteau said.
According to the woman's stepson, Zach Damond, she had called the police after hearing a noise near her home.
"My mom is dead, because a police officer shot her, for reasons I don't know, and I demand answers" he said in a tearful Facebook Live video. "I guess she thought that something bad was happening and, next thing I know, they take my best friends life."
Her fiancé, Don Damond, told reporters Monday that he and the Ruszczyk family were heartbroken.
"We are utterly devastated by the loss of Justine," he said, fighting back tears. "We have lost the dearest of people, and we are desperate for information."
"It is difficult to fathom how to go forward without her in my life."
Friends and neighbors described her as a "loving person" whose "whole mission in life was to help people with any problem," KARE reported. Her fiancé spoke of her "loving and generous heart," her kindness, her "great wit" and her sense of humor.
Last July, a suburban Minneapolis police officer fatally shot a black man during a traffic stop, that was live-streamed on Facebook. Officer Jeronimo Yanez shot school cafeteria worker and licensed gun owner Philando Castile, 32, in front of his girlfriend and her young daughter, sparking outcry and protests.
Last month Yanez was found not guilty of manslaughter and other charges for killing Castile.
And Yanez was soon after given $48,500 buyout package to leave the force, prompting even more outrage.
I really don't understand why this happened. Why would she be shot? Why did the officers not have their body cams on? Is that something that is a choice for them? The follow on news is that the officer involved was relatively junior. How does something like this happen?
I wonder if there will be a fair and honest investigation? Can you imagine the uproar if they decide to prosecute and convict this officer for shooting a blonde white woman, after acquitting the jackass Yanez for killing Philando Castile?
Not having their body cams on is a direct violation of the MPD procedures.
From the article and other article the LEO's shot the women while she was next to the police car. Firing across his partner.
If this is true, I would ask why is this guy on the MPD force to start with.
I'd have to agree with you Kavika. I can't understand how she could have been threatening them, unless she had a gun, which is doubtful.
IMO, if she had a weapon of any kind the LEO's and MPD would have been screaming to the heavens that she did.
I can't understand how she could have been threatening them, unless she had a gun, which is doubtful.
And, she was in her pajamas, for crying out loud. What kind of policeman shoots a lady walking up to their patrol car in her jammies?
The other thing I find offensive is this guy's 'apology' issued via his lawyer.
Noor's lawyer, Tom Plunkett, said in a statement to KARE that 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."
Touched by this event? TOUCHED BY THIS EVENT?? It's touching when you see a policeman playing hop-scotch with the neighborhood kids, or mowing Granny Jackson's lawn and painting the trim on her house. And...'he takes their loss seriously'? Why in the hell would that need saying? Were there other deaths that he chose not to take seriously?
This whole things makes no sense, whatsoever...unless of course his hire date is taken into account...
Not having their body cams on is a direct violation of the MPD procedures.
The body cams were not on because both officers were still in their car.
That's an interesting take. Are they not on at all times? Is there a procedure or rule book on that? I can understand why the dashcam wouldn't have caught it if she was at the driver side window, but the cop in the passenger seat reaching across and shooting her? I have to really wonder about what that story will sound like.
That's an interesting take. Are they not on at all times?
It seems like there would be a great deal of steering wheel and dashboard video if they were on while inside the car. Also consider that if their body cams were in the traditional places (and on), it would have taken some fairly awkward positions to capture the encounter.
Actually I heard on the news, that the body cams that the Minneapolis police use, must be manually turned on and are not automatic.
Though still not sure why they would not be on. Sounds, based on Kavika's MPD rule post that they are supposed ot be on during ANY interaction between the MPD Officers and the public. There should be audio form the dash cam footage and there would definitely have been from the body cams.
Gary,
They are supposed to be on during interactions. The issue is did they forget to turn them on, or did they not turn them on, on purpose. That is why auto body cams are prefered by most police departments.
''Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said both officers at the scene of Damond's death should have switched on their cameras when she approached them in the alley. Freeman said he will review the findings of state investigators to determine whether either officer should be charged.
They have to automatically suspend without pay any officer who does not have the camera on. Otherwise, what is the point of demanding voluntary compliance?
Actually according to MPD procedure anytime they engage a citizen the cameras should be on. Being inside of a their police car would make it difficult. Why on earth did, if true as reported, the cop shoot the women from inside the car and across his partner.
IMO, this is one fucked up operation if all reports thus far are factual.
My thoughts exactly. Bodycam might have picked up, if he is right handed, when he came across with the weapon, though bodycams would have picked up the preceding audio.
Something smells mighty fishy here.
Wonder why the governor isn't making inflammatory racial statements in this case? Given his prior history, one expects him to ask before the facts come in,"If the victim was Somali, would she be alive today?"
As much as I want to comment on this incident, I dare not because I will be chastised if I'm not being POLITICALLY CORRECT.
Come on.....say it!
I don't need to say it. You can read English.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/07/18/after-media-identifies-officer-in-minneapolis-shooting-somali-community-braces-for-backlash/?utm_term=.b8988b3b213a
Not by me, Buzz. And it seems the Police Officer may be a Somali Immigrant.
Besides, at your age, why would you care about anyone chastising you?
I read the camera policy and, with all due respect to those who think otherwise, I don't see anything that requires a camera to be on constantly nor did I see anything that requires an officer to turn on a camera simply to talk to someone. Having the camera on constantly would needlessly run down the battery, fill police servers with useless video footage (as well as stupid patrol car conversation), and potentially invade the privacy of citizens by recording them without their knowledge or consent.
Activating the camera to talk to someone appears to be entirely within the officer's discretion EXCEPT in the use of deadly force. The policy seems to recognize that activation prior to the use of deadly force is not always possible so the camera should be turned on as soon as circumstances permit. In this case, the victim reported what she believed to be a sexual assault. The police car pulled into her alley and she went out to talk to them. She may not have been giving an actual statement and she wasn't the victim of the assault so I really don't see why the officers would be compelled to record her standing in her pajamas (to be downloaded onto a police server), and if they had, I bet she would have bitched about it.
Officers are routinely placed on administrative leave pending the investigation of a fatal shooting and this particular jurisdiction uses a third party to investigate. Nobody's talking. I'll just have to wait for the official report to see why the officer thought this woman suddenly posed an immediate threat. In the interim, the general public (not just black people) may assume that it's just too dangerous to approach the police and avoid doing so like one does a coiled rattlesnake.
It boggles the mind trying to think how she suddenly became a clear and present danger, requiring lethal force. In her PJ's (Present company excepted, PJ).
The tables are turned. White cops have gunned down unarmed black people and now a black cop has gunned down a (seemingly) unarmed white woman. Will all presumptions be the same?
Sorry, but I'm not willing to go 'racial' on this. Seems to me a 'less than professional' cop panicked and killed a woman. She's just as dead, regardless of the 'why' in this. And that's what I hope they can determine. Seems this cop has had a fair amount of complaints in his short time on the force. All cops are put on administrative leave after a shooting-kind of standard policy around the country.
And I'll wait and see whether this black cop gets all the same presumptions in his favor as white cops do under similar circumstances.
LOOK FOR WAYS TO BLAME THE VICTIM TO PROTECT THE KILLER COP
“Authorities Searched Damond’s Home; Law Prof Believes That Could ‘Cause An International Incident,'” KSTP , July 25, 2017:
Since the cop's side of the story and details of the investigation haven't been made public, we really can't say whether it's appropriate to search her house.
A great argument for why you should own a gun.