The Minneapolis Police Department has released footage of a 2017 incident in which a police officer shot an unarmed woman.
Released on Thursday, May 23, the video shows the tense moments after U.S.-Australian citizen Justine Damond was fatally shot outside her home after she made a 911 call to report a possible rape.
Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor—later found guilty of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in connection with Damond’s death—is seen in the footage visibly distressed and pacing nervously.
Noor, who is the first police officer in Minnesota to be convicted in an on-duty fatal shooting, is seen in the video burying his face in one hand while another officer can be heard telling him “keep your mouth shut.”
One of the clips shows Noor pacing while his partner Matthew Harrity performs CPR on the victim. Noor’s partner can be heard shouting to the woman, “Stay with me.”
Another clip shows Noor covered in sweat and burying his face in one hand. The officer asks Noor if he’s alright then tells him to “keep to yourself, keep your mouth shut until you have to say anything to anybody.”
The footage also features Sgt. Shannon Barnette, Noor’s supervisor, who arrived on the scene and ordered it secured.
Barnette’s body camera footage shows her asking Noor’s partner what happened.
Harrity responds, “She just came up out of nowhere. On the side of the thing. We both got spooked. I had my gun out. I didn’t fire. Then Noor pulled out and fired.”
A jury found Noor guilty on April 30 on the basis of evidence that includes the newly released footage.
Minneapolis to Pay $20 Million to Victim’s Family
The city of Minneapolis will pay $20 million to the slain woman’s family, city leaders announced on May 3.Mayor Jacob Frey and city council members detailed the settlement days after Noor’s conviction.
Frey said this case stood out because of Noor’s unprecedented conviction for third-degree murder, as well as the officer’s failure to identify a threat before he used deadly force.
“This is not a victory for anyone, but rather a way for our city to move forward,” he said. “I do believe that we will move forward together, united in the shared belief that such a tragedy should never occur in our city.”
During his trial, Noor testified that as he and his partner arrived on the scene in the alley behind Damond’s house, they were startled by a loud bang on the vehicle. Noor said he fired to protect them from a perceived threat, after he saw his partner’s terrified reaction, and saw a woman appear at the driver’s side window, raising her right arm.
Jurors took about 11-and-a-half hours to reach a verdict after hearing three weeks of testimony.
Damond’s family had filed a lawsuit seeking more than $50 million, alleging that her civil rights were violated.
The settlement, which will be paid by the city’s self-insurance fund, calls for Damond’s family to donate $2 million to a local foundation’s fund aimed at addressing gun violence.
The death of Damond, 40, came a month before she was due to marry.
Noor, 33, who had trained to become a police officer in a mid-career switch, was fired after he was charged.
Damond’s death angered and bewildered citizens in the United States and Australia, and led to the forced resignation of Minneapolis’s police chief. It also led the department to change its policy on body cameras.
Sentencing guidelines for the murder charge of which Noor was found guilty call for as many as 15 years in prison.
