Noor Sentenced

From the BBC:

“Justine Damond: US policeman jailed for Australian's murder”

A former policeman in the US state of Minnesota has been sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison for fatally shooting an unarmed woman who was trying to report a possible crime.  Mohamed Noor shot Justine Ruszczyk Damond as she approached his patrol car to report a possible rape behind her Minneapolis home in July 2017.  He said the shooting was a mistake.  In court, Damond's father, John Ruszczyk, called the killing "an obscene act by an agent of the state". "Justine's death has left me incomplete - it is as if I have lost a limb or a leg," he said in an impact statement. Ms Damond was due to marry a month after the shooting  Damond's fiancee, Don Damond, read an emotional statement addressed directly to her.  "Dear Justine, I miss you so much every day, every moment," he said. "I don't understand how such a thing could happen to you and to us." Noor is the first Minnesota police officer to be found guilty of murder for an on-duty shooting. At his sentencing on Friday, the 33-year-old apologised for taking Ms Damond's life.  "I caused this tragedy and it is my burden," he told the court. "I wish though that I could relieve that burden others feel from the loss that I caused. I cannot, and that is a troubling reality for me." Some in the Somali-American community - Noor is Somali - have argued that the case was treated differently than police shootings involving white officers and black victims. Activists outside the courthouse Friday carried signs reading "No double standard" and "NOOR: Victim of Identity Politics." Noor said he opened fire on the 40-year-old yoga instructor because he feared that he and his partner were being ambushed. He said he made the "split-second decision" after hearing a loud bang and seeing Damond with her right arm raised. The police officers had been called to the area to respond to a 911 call made by Damond about the suspected sexual assault.  Noor was convicted in April of second-degree manslaughter and third-degree murder, but acquitted of the most serious charge of second-degree murder with intent to kill.  Damond, a US-Australian dual citizen originally from Sydney, was engaged and due to marry a month after the shooting. She had adopted the surname of her fiancé, Don Damond, ahead of their wedding. Her death drew international criticism, with Australia's then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull describing it as "inexplicable". Her family was promised $20m (£15.5m) in compensation by the US city of Minneapolis last month. They said they would donate $2m towards fighting gun crime.

^ While no punishment can bring back Justine Damond at least justice was done for her and her family. I think on-duty policemen/women should be required to have body-cameras on their entire shift and that the images should go to a central location (local, State or Federal – depending on the authority of the police force in question)and be kept in case there is any question on what happened during a shift and if there’s a malfunction then that should be investigated – whether there was a crime occurring or not. The police are so interested to get the camera footage of private cameras in stores they should also have to use cameras. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48562834