Justine Damond shooting: Prosecutor announces delay in police probe
MINNEAPOLIS — A prosecutor whose office is investigating the July Minneapolis police shooting death of a woman who had called to report a possible sexual assault near her house announced his office will not meet its initial goal of completing the probe by Dec. 31.
Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor fatally shot Justine Damond on July 15 as she approached the squad car that Noor and his partner were in. The death of Damond, an Australian national, drew international attention and led to the forced resignation of the city's police chief.
Noor's partner, Matthew Harrity, who was driving the police vehicle at the time, told investigators that he was startled by a loud sound near the cruiser and, immediately afterward, Damond approached the driver's side window. Harrity told agents that Noor fired his weapon from the passenger seat, hitting Damond.
On Dec. 21, her family held a press conference in Australia, demanding "a rigorous investigation and examination of evidence of the events leading to Justine's death."
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Thursday that the investigation would continue into 2018.
"Our goal was to complete the review and make a decision on whether or not to bring charges by the end of the year," Freeman said in a statement released to media outlets. "We are getting more information and evidence and additional investigation must be completed."
The statement said Freeman explained his decision to Damond's family by phone on Thursday, and indicated there's no timetable for when the investigation will conclude.
"As I have mentioned before, the investigation and review of the case will not be rushed. It is more important to get it right than to get it done quickly," Freeman said in the statement.