An Australian woman who called 911 about a possible assault was fatally shot by one of the two police officers who were deployed in the area after the call. According to the investigators handling the case, the police officers heard a loud sound and were startled prompting one of them to fire his gun.
The two officers were in an alley near the home of the Australian woman, identified as Justine Damond (40). She was talking to the driver of the Squad Car when the officer in the passenger seat fired his gun. The loud noise came first before Damond approached their squad car.
Information came days after
The state agency investigating the shooting is the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). The information was released after one of the officers released a statement regarding what took place that evening.
The information came days after the shooting and after the relatives of the deceased slammed the law enforcement officials for keeping the details under wraps. Together with the explanation as to how Damond was shot, the BCA also named the officer who shot Damond. He is officer Mohamed Noor, who has been in the area’s police department since 2015. The driver of the squad car, on the other hand, is officer Matthew Harrity. They have been placed on paid administrative leave.
Noor’s attorney said that they do not know yet when his client’s interview will be but pointed out that he is taking the matter seriously. The lawyer noted that being a police is a calling for Noor.
Noor refused BCA’s invitation for an interview, Independent reported. Harrity gave his statements on Tuesday and pointed out that after Damond got shot, both officers went out of their squad car and gave life-saving efforts to the victim.
Still no video of the incident
According to the Washington Post, investigators with the BCA also said that there is no video available showing what transpired when Damond was shot. The body cameras and the dash cam were not on when the shooting took place. It is unknown why the cameras were off but they were turned on after the shooting.
Victim’s fiancé speaks out
Initially, the fiancé of Justine, American Don Damond, did not release any statement regarding her shooting. Later, he said that their hearts are broken and they are devastated by the loss of his supposedly soon-to-be wife. They were getting ready to get married next month and that was the only reason why Justine went to the United States.
Noor gets a lawsuit a day before shooting
A day before Damond’s fatal shooting, a lawsuit was filed against Noor and two other police officers. A woman accused them of forcing their way into her home and detaining her. They also took her to a hospital forcibly. Two others filed complaints against Noor but details about these remain unknown.
