Minnesota ex-officer gets 12-1/2 years in prison for Australian woman's shooting death

By Joey Peters

 

FILE PHOTO: Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor walks out of the courthouse during a recess on the first day of opening arguments of his trial, where he is charged in the 2017 fatal shooting of 40-year-old Australian woman Justine Ruszczyk Damond, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., April 9, 2019. REUTERS/Adam Bettcher/File Photo

 

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - A former Minneapolis police officer was sentenced to 12-1/2 years in prison on Friday for the fatal shooting of an Australian woman nearly two years ago after she had called police to report a possible sexual assault.

 

Mohamed Noor, 33, was found guilty on April 30 of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for killing 40-year-old Justine Ruszczyk Damond outside her home in a case that drew international attention.

 

Before the sentencing, Noor made a tearful apology to Damond's family and described how the fear that led him to pull the trigger turned to horror upon seeing what he had done.

 

"I apologise for taking the life of a perfect person who was so dear to them," he said. "I caused this tragedy and it is my burden."

 

Noor's lawyers had asked the court for a sentence of probation, or at most, a prison term of a year and a day, citing his community service and his cooperation with the investigation.

 

But Minnesota District Judge Kathryn Quaintance rejected the plea for leniency, saying that while Noor had shown remorse for the consequences of his decision, he had not taken responsibility for his error in judgment during the shooting.

 

"The law does not allow license because someone is a good person," Quaintance said in passing the a sentence before a hushed courtroom. "Good people sometimes do bad things."

 

Noor, who has been in custody since his conviction, was led out of the courtroom with a grave expression on his face.

 

The case was one of a series of highly publicized police killings in recent years. In many of them, the victims were black men or teenagers, but in this case, Damond was white and Noor is a black Somali immigrant.

 

Several of Noor's friends and family members, most of them Somali, gathered in the courthouse lobby afterward to protest the sentence.

 

The court also heard from six of Damon's friends and relatives, who read statements detailing the mental anguish and fear of the police they felt since her death.

 

"I now have more anxiety when I see humans giving the oath to protect and serve," said Zach Damond, her stepson.

 

Noor, the first Minnesota police officer to be convicted of murder, and his partner drove to Damond's home the night of July 15, 2017, to respond to a report she had made of a possible sexual assault. When Damond approached the patrol car, Noor fired through the car window, killing her.

 

Noor testified that he shot her in self-defence after he and his partner were startled by a loud noise.

 

Last month, Minneapolis city officials agreed to pay $20 million to settle a civil suit brought by Damond's family.

 

(Reporting by Joey Peters; Writing by Peter Szekely in New York; editing by Susan Thomas and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-08

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Hope he gets near general population, they just love cops..... 

They need to get better at rejecting incompetent trainees and getting rid of bad cops he screwed up so now he pays the price that being said the same should go for a white cop that does the same thing to a black woman

The police in my country (USA) seemingly can do whatever they want with little fear of consequences and they know it.  "I was in fear of my life"  or the "waistband" defense.  I'm convinced they are trained to shoot first and ask questions later.  I have very little sympathy for them any more.  We need them out there I guess but I don't think much of them. 

 

I am surprised that the sentence for this guy was as long as it is.

9 minutes ago, bluebluewater said:

The police in my country (USA) seemingly can do whatever they want with little fear of consequences and they know it.  "I was in fear of my life"  or the "waistband" defense.  I'm convinced they are trained to shoot first and ask questions later.  I have very little sympathy for them any more.  We need them out there I guess but I don't think much of them. 

 

I am surprised that the sentence for this guy was as long as it is.

 

He murdered an unarmed woman who posed 0 threat to him and was obviously

pushed into his position to fill some type of racial quota for that department. 

 

People can rant all they want about cops in the hood shooting perps - that's quite a different reality than gunning down an Australian yoga instructor.

 

28 minutes ago, bluebluewater said:

I am surprised that the sentence for this guy was as long as it is.

 

The photo of the officer, his name, the victim's gender & nationality and the locale all go a long way towards explaining what is the rare exception, rather than the rule, when it comes to wrongful death convictions by the police in the U.S. (Note that I am not at all familiar with the details of this incident but based on what I've read I wouldn't have been an impartial juror; I would have voted guilty.)

 

A white officer chasing down a black man and shooting him multiple times in the back in say South Carolina, or a wannabe neighborhood security guard killing a young black man in a hoodie in Florida experiences a different form of justice.

What is the most annoying with the accused is that he, his family, and his supporters are still playing the racial discrimination card, and not only him, every minority person who is accused of a serious crime committed against a white person immediately pulls out the race card to hide behind it... 

Justice served. Hope this will ring large with other trigger happy cops.

1 minute ago, ezzra said:

What is the most annoying with the accused is that he, his family, and his supporters are still playing the racial discrimination card, and not only him, every minority person who is accused of a serious crime committed against a white person immediately pulls out the race card to hide behind it... 

White policemen (and policewomen) of course do not have to play their card; or if they do they have 52 at birth.

 

25 minutes ago, JimmyTheMook said:

People can rant all they want about cops in the hood shooting perps - that's quite a different reality than gunning down an Australian yoga instructor.

This sort of "opinion" reinforces the tragedy of not dealing with historical inequities.

Just now, ezzra said:

What is the most annoying with the accused is that he, his family, and his supporters are still playing the racial discrimination card, and not only him, every minority person who is accused of a serious crime committed against a white person immediately pulls out the race card to hide behind it... 

To back up your post please quote Noor "playing the racial discrimination card".

He got off lightly as he is a Somalian in an area heavily populated with Somalians. Ilhan Omar's district. Which is a tiny sliver of the Cedar Riverside area of Minneapolis

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

What is the most annoying with the accused is that he, his family, and his supporters are still playing the racial discrimination card, and not only him, every minority person who is accused of a serious crime committed against a white person immediately pulls out the race card to hide behind it... 

"...every minority person who is accused of a serious crime committed against a white person immediately pulls out the race card to hide behind it" Obsessed with race much? And stop making things up.

An armed cop is in fear of his life from a female yoga instructor.

 

Across hundreds of other cases of police shooting unarmed civilians the same defense ‘I was afraid’ is used.

 

Time perhaps to look at police culture and police training to determine where this fear is coming from.

 

If for no other reason, cops being afraid is resulting in the deaths of unarmed civilians.

Here's a hint sir Australia is NOT the United States.  You can't simply rape and shoot people at will like you could when you were a cop in the US no questions asked.  Australia judges will not magically dismiss all charges because "cop" and pretend that just because you are the kings enforcers you get to do whatever you want to whomever you want whenever you want.  He's used to being part of the untouchable aristocracy and apparently this got to his head and stayed there and he stupidly believed that his little aura of cannot do any wrong crosses borders.  No... enjoy prison you slime bag and I hope the guards inform all the other inmates that *you were a cop* and likely busted and took bribes from their friends.

21 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

He got off lightly as he is a Somalian in an area heavily populated with Somalians. Ilhan Omar's district. Which is a tiny sliver of the Cedar Riverside area of Minneapolis

Are you saying that Minnesota District Judge Kathryn Quaintance is a Somalian?  If not, what relevance does the ethnic makeup of the community have? 

Got some evidence to show her sentencing was influenced by pressure from the Somalian community?

5 minutes ago, remorhaz said:

Here's a hint sir Australia is NOT the United States.  You can't simply rape and shoot people at will like you could when you were a cop in the US no questions asked.  Australia judges will not magically dismiss all charges because "cop" and pretend that just because you are the kings enforcers you get to do whatever you want to whomever you want whenever you want.  He's used to being part of the untouchable aristocracy and apparently this got to his head and stayed there and he stupidly believed that his little aura of cannot do any wrong crosses borders.  No... enjoy prison you slime bag and I hope the guards inform all the other inmates that *you were a cop* and likely busted and took bribes from their friends.

This shooting happened in America, not Australia. Yes, the victim was Australian.

9 minutes ago, remorhaz said:

Here's a hint sir Australia is NOT the United States.  You can't simply rape and shoot people at will like you could when you were a cop in the US no questions asked.  Australia judges will not magically dismiss all charges because "cop" and pretend that just because you are the kings enforcers you get to do whatever you want to whomever you want whenever you want.  He's used to being part of the untouchable aristocracy and apparently this got to his head and stayed there and he stupidly believed that his little aura of cannot do any wrong crosses borders.  No... enjoy prison you slime bag and I hope the guards inform all the other inmates that *you were a cop* and likely busted and took bribes from their friends.

"You can't simply rape and shoot people at will like you could when you were a cop in the US no questions asked."

Did you actually read the article? Do you understand that he was sentenced to 12.5 years?

 

"No... enjoy prison you slime bag and I hope the guards inform all the other inmates that *you were a cop* and likely busted and took bribes from their friends."

Is this how things are done in the Australia's superior system of justice?

 

5 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

what relevance does the ethnic makeup of the community have? 

Suspect cryingdick was playing the race card by implying the jury pool was heavily populated with sympathetic American-Somalian citizens?

 

Further suspect, he's clueless re: mandatory sentencing.

 

Go figure.

 

 

18 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Are you saying that Minnesota District Judge Kathryn Quaintance is a Somalian?  If not, what relevance does the ethnic makeup of the community have? 

Got some evidence to show her sentencing was influenced by pressure from the Somalian community?

 

There were community protests I am from there and we can agree to disagree. It isn't like he got an OJ deal or Smolleted out of it but it is relatively light.

37 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

 

There were community protests I am from there and we can agree to disagree. It isn't like he got an OJ deal or Smolleted out of it but it is relatively light.

So far I can't find any figures on average sentencing for murder and manslaughter in Minnesota. Perhaps you can direct me to your sources?

Just now, bristolboy said:

So far I can't find any figures on average sentencing for murder and manslaughter in Minnesota. Perhaps you can direct me to your sources?

Have a good one, once again I am not your clerk or court jester. I am from that state and the case is very famous and I have first hand observations that can never satisfy you with a source. 

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

Suspect cryingdick was playing the race card by implying the jury pool was heavily populated with sympathetic American-Somalian citizens?

 

Further suspect, he's clueless re: mandatory sentencing.

 

Go figure.

 

 

No not at all it was wider protests. I also don't like being called a racist hick. So please mind your manners. I grew up in that district and am more aware of what happened than you are. Unless you live in Minneapolis.

24 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

Have a good one, once again I am not your clerk or court jester. I am from that state and the case is very famous and I have first hand observations that can never satisfy you with a source. 

I guess when you've got nothing one way to go is to resort to claims of personal experience. 

Just now, bristolboy said:

I guess when you've got nothing one way to go is to resort to claims of personal experience. So tell me, how many times have you been sentenced for murder or manslaughter and how many years did you get?

 

Yes, I agree.

You wouldnt want to be a US taxpayer would you.? Week after week there are massive multi million dollar law suits always settled out of court.The police budget is taxpayers money. Is that the source of the compo?

All cops should be personally insured .If one of them murders a citizen then the insurance company pays out.

High premiums should slow down the trigger happy boneheads and Rambo's in US police departments.

Just now, Lucius verus said:

You wouldnt want to be a US taxpayer would you.? Week after week there are massive multi million dollar law suits always settled out of court.The police budget is taxpayers money. Is that the source of the compo?

All cops should be personally insured .If one of them murders a citizen then the insurance company pays out.

High premiums should slow down the trigger happy boneheads and Rambo's in US police departments.

I am a US tax payer. This is the reason I am the way I am.

Just now, Cryingdick said:

I am a US tax payer. This is the reason I am the way I am.

And all US taxpayers agree with you? They all stand with you 100% on this issue?

29 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

I also don't like being called a racist hick. So please mind your manners.

 

I didn't call you a "hick".

 

Strange that you went there? Defensive are we?

 

 

29 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

I grew up in that district and am more aware of what happened than you are.

 

Grappling with the relevance? You grew up there last year? We bow to your local knowledge.

 

Anxiously waiting for Juicy-Lucy and Fish-Fry reviews.

 

 

1 minute ago, bristolboy said:

And all US taxpayers agree with you? They all stand with you 100% on this issue?

 

Yes I completely agree with you. Thank you for enlightening me.

Boss.