Minnesota Grand Jury Convenes for Police Shooting of Australian

Courthouse News ^

[JP1201]

MINNEAPOLIS (CN) – A grand jury convened Tuesday over the fatal shooting of an Australian woman by a Minneapolis police officer last summer, a month after a state prosecutor called for further investigation.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman went back on his word and decided to use a grand jury in the officer-involved shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, 40, who was killed in an alley near her home when Minneapolis Police Officer Mohamed Noor and his partner, Officer Matthew Harrity, responded to her 911 call about a possible assault in the area.

She was dressed in pajamas when she died of a single gunshot wound to the abdomen, according to the Minnesota a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, or BCA.

“The officers drove south through the alley between Washburn and Xerxes avenues toward West 51st Street in search of a suspect,” the BCA said in a statement last July. “All squad lights were off. As they reached West 51st Street, Officer Harrity indicated that he was startled by a loud sound near the squad. Immediately afterward Ruszczyk approached the driver’s side window of the squad. Harrity indicated that Officer Noor discharged his weapon, striking Ruszczyk through the open driver’s side window. The officers immediately exited the squad and provided medical attention until medical personnel arrived. Ruszczyk was pronounced dead at the scene.”

Freeman had previously stated that he would no longer use grand juries in police shooting cases due to the lack of transparency. Because of the secrecy of the proceedings, Freeman declined to confirm whether the grand jury is investigating the case, but said he would make his own decision on whether to charge Noor.

But Freeman’s decision to use a grand jury was made public after more than 30 officers received subpoenas, about one month after he claimed there wasn’t enough evidence and additional investigation was needed.

The officers subpoenaed will testify before the grand jury while prosecutors decide whether to charge Noor for Damond’s death.

Bob Kroll, president of the Minneapolis Police Federation, said many of the officers subpoenaed to testify were Noor’s trainers and academy educators, according to the Star Tribune.

Officer Harrity has told investigators that he was “startled by a loud sound near the squad” when he and Noor arrived on the scene.

According to a Star Tribune report, Damond approached the driver’s side window of the squad car “immediately afterward.” Noor reportedly shot from the passenger seat, across his partner and through the window, hitting Damond in the abdomen. She died 20 minutes later.

At the time of her death, Damond worked as a life coach and shared a home with her fiancé in South Minneapolis. She was engaged to be married to U.S. citizen Don Damond, and already had taken his name.

Shortly after the incident, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called the killing “shocking” and “inexplicable,” and said his diplomats were requesting answers from U.S. officials. The officers’ body cameras were not turned on until after Damond was shot.

[freedumb2003]

Wow — Grand juries shoot Aussies now.

I heard MN had gone downhill but...

[arrogantsob]

Good one.

[RKBA Democrat]

Grand jury, eh? An important tool for prosecuting attorneys use to absolve themselves of any blame.

Politics is a suckers game.

[Paladin2]

Just a muzzie keeping America safe (for Sharia).

[Candor7]

Fred remember this:

“shooting death of ( Australian) Justine Ruszczyk Damond, 40, who was killed in an alley near her home when Minneapolis Police Officer Mohamed Noor and his partner, Officer Matthew Harrity, responded to her 911 call about a possible assault in the area.”

OfficerNoor is a member of the Muslim community and actually shot from the passenger’s side right across his partner who was driving ( Noor is one crazy dipshit), killing Damond who had called the police in the first place. This is contrary to any police procedure or training Noor would have had about side arm use.

Something triggered NOOR to shoot, but we do not know yet what in fact it was. Maybe because Damond’s head and face were not covered? Or was it a Muslim man beating his wife that occasioned Damond’s 911 call?

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Ping

[Bonemaker]

What’s the rush?

[Bonemaker]

“Shortly after the incident, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called the killing “shocking” and “inexplicable,” and said his diplomats were requesting answers from U.S. officials.”

He just doesn’t know our cops like we do. They actually have hiring standards in Australia.

[eyeamok]

The grand Jury has long been the favorite method for tyrants to cover up criminal activity by government agents.

you put forth a weak case to the Grand Jury with a few tidbits of key evidence, but not enough to get an indictment. Now that ‘KEY” evidence you presented to the Grand Jury is Secret Forever., and your morally bankrupt buddies go home.

[a fool in paradise]

Talk about news that dropped out of any media coverage...

[MeganC]

Here’s another sickening story for you: The dastardly prosecutor is going after a cop for killing an unarmed woman.

The officer went home safe that night and that’s all that matters, right?

[ptsal]

Post 6
Hmmmm.... had NOT heard matters cited in the last two paragraphs.

    Is there more to this story?

[Nextrush]

At least we know the name of the cop who did the shooting.

In Oregon the Oregon State Police troopers involved in the killing of LaVoy Finicum have names that are unknown to us peons out here.

[Liz]

The disastrous effects of Obama's letting in Somali Muslims, via this unprovoked killing by a Minneapolis Somali Muslim cop.

Somalis in Minnesota----Somali councilman at podium----unite to defend Somali policeman who shot Justine saying he was an "American"......but when he joined the police dept--he was hailed as a "Somali." They cant have it both ways.

Nice how they assimilate, isnt it?

================================

Somali Police Association in Minnesota---getting dental work, I hope.
One of their Somalis colleagues killed a girl without provocation.

They come to the great melting pot then proceed to set themselves apart from Americans.

[Nextrush]

The prosecutors and the cops are all part of a criminal justice law enforcement bureaucracy the cover each others back IMHO.

[Sa-teef]

"Grand jury, eh? An important tool for prosecuting attorneys use to absolve themselves of any blame."

Sounds very much like it. With thirty of his trainers and instructors all playing CYA and telling the grand jury what a fine, balanced police officer our little Somali is.

Poor lady will be one more victim of the blue wall of silence covering for this batsh*t crazy guy with multiple pending citizen complaints in his first year on the job. Very sad situation but you would expect that in Minnesota these days.

[shelterguy]

Governor Mumbles Dayton won’t let anything happen to the somalis. They are a very protected class here.

[Fred Nerks]

It was against his religion, whatever it was.

[Cruising Speed]

After killing Damond, the cops got a search warrant for her house. They did not ask for a search warrant for the killer’s house.