Mohamed Noor Conviction Overturned

The Minnesota Supreme Court vacated a 3rd degree murder conviction against former Minneapolis police Mohamed Noor. The high court cited insufficient evidence. Noor, born in Somalia, was involved in the deadly shooting of Justine Ruszcyk Damond in 2017. In 2019, the court sentenced him to 12 and half years in prison for third-degree murder.

On July 15th, 2017, Justine Ruszcyk Damond called 911 to report a sexual assault in the alley behind her Minneapolis home. Mohamed Noor and his partner Matthew Harrity responded to the call. When Justine went outside to meet the officers, she startled them. Noor fired one shot across the driver’s seat. The shot killed Ruszcyk Damond.

At trial, Noor testified he feared for his partner’s life. His partner’s terrified expressions and the sight of Ruszcyk Damond with her raised hand caused Noor to fire a shot into her abdomen. Prosecutors argued that Noor failed to properly assess the situation leading to an overreaction at the scene.

At the time of the initial conviction, the Somali community in Minneapolis raised concerns about the verdict. It was also one of the few times a police officer was charged with murder. Many felt the race of the victim as well as anti-Somali bias influenced the outcome.

According to the high court the prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence to sustain Noor’s conviction. The court agreed that a conviction on the lesser charge of second-degree manslaughter was more appropriate. Noor’s lawyers are hopeful he will be released from jail by year’s end.

Hennepin County Attorney Michael O. Freeman acknowledged his office is “disappointed by Wednesday’s ruling and did not agree with the justice’s legal analysis. However, he respects the court’s decision. He still plans to seek the maximum sentence possible for Mohamed Noor. Peter Wold, Noor’s attorney was delighted with the recent rulings. Wold indicated “He (Noor) is extremely, obviously, relieved. and anxious to get home to his young family."

Don Damond, Justine’s fiancé, called the ruling a “double blow against justice.” “I have lived with the tragic loss of Justine and none of this can hurt my heart more than it has been, but now it truly feels like there has been no justice for Justine.”