Hennepin Cty. Atty.: Decision On Charges In Damond Shooting Should Come By End Of Year
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says a decision on charges in the case of the Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed an Australian woman should come by the end of the year.
In a statement Monday, Freeman said the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is still completing their investigation of the death of Justine Damond. Minneapolis Police Officer Mohamed Noor fatally shot the 40-year-old woman while he and his partner were responding to Damond's 911 call about a possible sexual assault in an alleyway.
While Noor has declined to be interviewed by the BCA, his partner, Michael Harrity, told investigators Harrity was startled by a loud noise. Damond approached the police car immediately after the noise, and Noor shot her through the driver's side window, Harrity said.
"We have received some emails and phone calls from members of the community demanding that we charge the officer immediately and ascribing all kinds of nefarious reasons as to why we haven't done so," Freeman said. "The truth is, we are following the same procedure we have with the three previous officer-involved shootings."
Once the BCA's investigation is complete, Freeman and his office will review the files and decide whether or not to charge Noor.
Freeman said typically four to six months elapse between an officer-involved shooting and a decision from his office.
"I fully expect a decision in this case before the end of 2017," he said.