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Minneapolis Officer Indicted on Murder Charges for Killing Australian Woman

HeadlineMar 21, 2018

In Minnesota, Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor has been indicted on murder charges for fatally shooting Australian woman Justine Damond Ruszczyk in July. She had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home, before she was shot dead by Officer Noor, who was responding to her emergency calls. This is Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freedman.

Michael Freedman: “In the short time between when Ms. Damond Ruszczyk approached the squad car and the time that Officer Noor fired the fatal shot, there is no evidence that Officer Noor encountered a threat, appreciated a threat, investigated a threat or confirmed a threat that justified his decision to use deadly force. Instead, Officer Noor recklessly and intentionally fired his handgun from the passenger seat, in disregard for human life.”

The shooting is a rare case in which a black police officer killed a white woman. It sparked widespread protests and the resignation of the Minneapolis police chief.

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