The Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot Justine Damond last July has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Mohamed Noor, the officer who shot Damond after she called 911 on July 15 to report a possible sexual assault, turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday.
“There is no evidence that, in that short timeframe, Officer Noor encountered, appreciated, investigated, or confirmed a threat that justified the decision to use deadly force,” the criminal complaint read. “Instead, Officer Noor recklessly and intentionally fired his handgun.”
Prosecutors are seeking a $500,000 bail for Noor.
Conflicting Reports
The reason it took so long to bring charges against Noor was that there were conflicting reports about what happened on the night of the shooting. Noor’s partner, who was driving, said he couldn’t tell if the person who approached the vehicle that night was male or female, adult or child, and their hands weren’t visible. Noor’s partner said he was startled by a loud bang as the person, who turned out to be Damond, approached the vehicle. Startled by the noise, Noor discharged his weapon from the passenger’s seat, and ended up killing Damond.
Neither Noor or his partner had their body cameras on at the time of the incident, and their dash camera also did not record the shooting, which means prosecutors were relying on the officers’ statements and witness testimony. After reviewing the facts, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said that Noor’s actions did not meet the precedent to use deadly force, which states that it is only authorized “to protect the peace officer or another from apparent death or great bodily harm.”
“What is the threat that requires the use of deadly force?,” Freeman said, adding that Noor did not act objectively reasonably…and abused his authority to use deadly force. “What we are saying here today, in this complaint, is Justine was approaching the car unarmed.”
Noor has been charged with third-degree murder, which is defined as acting “without intent to effect the death of any person, causes the death of another by perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life.” If convicted, Noor could face up to 25 years for the third-degree murder charge.
In the wake of the shooting, Minneapolis officers are now required to turn on their body cameras when responding to any call or any traffic stop.
