The police officer who allegedly shot and killed Australian yoga teacher Justine Ruszcyk Damond in Minneapolis last year has been charged with third degree murder, according to Hennepin County records.
The officer, Mohamed Noor, is alleged to have shot Ruszcyk — who went by Damond — after she called police on July 15 last year to report a possible sexual assault happening near her home. When Noor and his partner arrived on the scene in their squad car, Damond approached the driver's side window, and Noor fired his gun at her through the window, fatally wounding her, according to state officials.
Records show that Noor was taken into custody at the Hennepin County jail on Tuesday morning and that he has been charged with third degree "perpetrating eminently dangerous act and evincing depraved mind" and second-degree manslaughter, "culpable negligence creating unreasonable risk."
Hennepin County Attorney Mark Freeman convened a grand jury investigation to gather evidence into the shooting in January and is set to hold a press conference to provide more details on the charges on Tuesday afternoon.
"I believe the actions in question go against who we are as a department," then-Minneapolis police chief Janee Harteau told reporters in the days after the shooting. "These were the actions and judgments of one individual." Harteau resigned a week after the shooting, amid growing criticism of the police department.
The Damond and Ruszcyk families released a statement to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
“While we waited over eight months to come to this point, we are pleased with the way a grand jury and County Attorney Mike Freeman appear to have been diligent and thorough in investigating and ultimately determining that these charges are justified,” they said in the statement. “We remain hopeful that a strong case will be presented by the prosecutor, backed by verified and detailed forensic evidence, and that this will lead to a conviction. No charges can bring our Justine back. However, justice demands accountability for those responsible for recklessly killing the fellow citizens they are sworn to protect, and today’s actions reflect that.”