The press has been near mute since an Australian woman got shot point blank by a Minneapolis Police offer last week. She called 911 to report a sexual assault after she heard a woman yell "Help!"
Once the police arrived, she walked to their car in her pajamas carrying only a cell phone, per the police report. The officer heard a loud noise, which evidently caused him to shoot the unarmed woman. Audio proved that there were "aerial fireworks" the night this happened. Neither the body cam or dash cam were turned on during the interaction.
There's been an ongoing 'war on cops' mindset of many across the nation recently, mostly due to several incidents where white cops have reacted violently toward non-white suspects.
In this situation, the roles are reversed. There are no protests going on in Minneapolis and Black Lives Matter has been extremely reticent, taking a back seat.
Many answers are still being sought regarding this fatal Shooting, while the details readily available support a claim of another instance of police brutality. However, Minneapolis leaders and the press are apparently concerned that Somalis could receive backlash from those who seek justice for the victim.
The Officer (Mahamed Noor)
Mahamed Noor is one of nine Somali-American officers in the department, beginning his employment in March 2015 and assigned to cover the Fifth Precinct, which is the Southwest territory of Minneapolis. The 31-year old currently has two open complaints in his police file under investigation and has been sued on another occasion.
Noor is seemingly an intelligent man, carrying a degree in business administration, management, and economics from Augsburg College in Minneapolis.
Noor is a member of the Somali American Police Association, which declined to comment on the matter. Also declining to comment was Minneapolis Police Federation President Lt. Bob Kroll.
The victim (Justine Damond)
40-year old Australian Justine Damond was a yoga instructor and had already taken her fiancé, Don Damond's, last name. Her maiden name was Justine Ruszczyk.
According to CBS News, Don Damond gave an emotional statement after the fatal tragedy.
"Sadly, her family and I have been provided with almost no additional information from law enforcement regarding what happened after police arrived," Don Damond speaking to reporters.
"We've lost the dearest of people and we are desperate for information. Piecing together Justine's last moments before the homicide would be a small comfort as we grieve this tragedy."
"She was so kind, and so darn funny, she made all of us laugh with her great wit and her humor," he continued. "A teacher to so many, touching so many people with her loving and generous heart. It's difficult to fathom how to go forward without her in my life."
Media and news outlets reaction
The Washington Post published an article Tuesday, saying "racial tension stoked in part by shootings of black people by white police officers."
Scott Greer from the Daily Caller pointed out in his reaction to the Post's article, saying 'apparently, we don't need to worry about tension stoked by shootings of Aussies by Somali police officers.
The Post implies that it was wrong for media outlets to identify the officer due to his background. Reminder: there was never this quibble when it came to other controversial police shootings.'
Other stories attempted to paint the picture of Noor in a positive light, such as those ran by Reuters and The Minneapolis Star Tribune.
United Press International released a statement from Minnesota Police Chief Janee Harteau, who said Justine Damond didn't have to die.
"Based on the publicly released information from the [Bureau of Criminal Apprehension], this should not have happened. "On our squad cars, you will find the words, 'To protect with courage and serve with compassion.' This did not happen."
"I believe the actions in question go against who we are as a department, how we train and the expectations we have for our officers," she continued. "These were the actions and judgments of one individual."
