MN - Justine Damond, 40, fatally shot by Minneapolis LE, 15 July 2017 #3

[wary]

I honestly don't know how that defense will work. I'm generally pro-law enforcement, but I couldn't buy a self-defense argument here, or defense of others. There was just no reasonable threat.

I’m generally pro-LE too, but I agree—self-defense sounds like nonsense to me. Defense of others? Who? The partner who would have gotten his head blown off if he’d made a sudden move? “Reckless disregard for human life” sounds more like it.

And they’d been called out, on the possibility that a woman was being attacked. So, if an agitated woman in night clothes rushes up to their car, he shoots her?

 

[PrairieWind]

I’m generally pro-LE too, but I agree—self-defense sounds like nonsense to me. Defense of others? Who? The partner who would have gotten his head blown off if he’d made a sudden move? “Reckless disregard for human life” sounds more like it.

And they’d been called out, on the possibility that a woman was being attacked. So, if an agitated woman in night clothes rushes up to their car, he shoots her?

Totally agree. He either has to admit that in responding to a call of a woman being raped/attacked, he shot the first woman that ran up to his car, OR he must admit that he failed to identify his target before he pulled the trigger.

 

[Blondiexoxo]

Just read through every page of this thread, I’d never heard of this case before and I’m just horrified at how this poor lady lost her life. I’m glad to see extra charges have been added and will be following the trial. She posed no immediate threat and I hope he is fully punished, what a sorry excuse of a police officer. I hope her family get every penny of $50m, even though it will never bring her back they deserve a good sum, she was terribly let down by those who she thought were there to help, and not even herself but a stranger she was worried about. Selfless woman trying to keep people safe and lost her life at the hands of the person responding to her call.

 

[they'll get you]

Video of incident included in link.

Only months before Ms Damond was shot at her home, former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was filmed on dash cam drawing his gun after pulling over a driver.

It’s evidence prosecutors are using to claim her death was no accident or mistake.
It’s claimed Noor pointed his gun at the head of the driver in the video after pulling him over for not using his indicator.

Prosecutors are arguing Noor had a history of “unnecessarily escalating force”.

But the police officer’s defence team has demanded the jury never see the video.


New twist in Justine Damond shooting investigation

 

[ilovewings]

I was just going to post that article----IMO Noor is a bad actor

 

[JerseyGirl]

4 questions in Mohamed Noor trial that may get answered Friday

Attorneys argue over evidence for ex-Minneapolis cop's trial

 

[K_Z]

Prosecution's case against Noor takes a hit with restrictions on trial evidence

The prosecution’s murder case against former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor took a hit Friday when a judge restricted them from presenting several pieces of evidence at his upcoming trial, including the officer’s prior work performance and a psychological exam.

Noor also pleaded not guilty Friday morning in the July 2017 shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. His attorney, Thomas Plunkett, entered the plea on his behalf. Noor did not speak during the 30-minute evidentiary hearing, and left the proceeding without comment.

Prosecution's case against Noor takes a hit with restrictions on trial evidence

Jury selection begins April 1. Both sides agreed to an 18 page jury questionnaire:

http://mncourts.gov/mncourtsgov/med...-CR-18-6859/StatesJuryQuestionnaire021519.pdf

Police opinions, Somali-American interactions among 68 items on Noor trial jury questionnaire

Ex-MPD officer Mohamed Noor pleads not guilty in Justine Damond shooting death

Noor pleads not guilty to all three counts in 2017 fatal shooting

**Edited to add-- Judge also ruled today no cameras in the courtroom during trial.

And this is interesting-- If Noor takes the stand, his refusal to talk to investigators is admissible as evidence. Only if he does not take the stand is his refusal to speak not admissible.

Quaintance also ruled that Noor’s refusal to speak with a state investigator about the shooting can only be used as evidence by prosecutors if he takes the witness stand. The defense had filed a motion to bar it from trial, but prosecutors hit back with the argument that state law and U.S. Supreme Court precedent allows using pre-arrest silence to impeach a defendant who testifies.

Prosecution's case against Noor takes a hit with restrictions on trial evidence

 

[K_Z]

Totally agree. He either has to admit that in responding to a call of a woman being raped/attacked, he shot the first woman that ran up to his car, OR he must admit that he failed to identify his target before he pulled the trigger.

Well said, PrairieWind. That is a very tight catch 22. I'm not sure even a rationale that he thought they were being ambushed and he feared for his life is sufficient in those circumstances. She made more than one 911 call, too. His squad partner is almost certainly going to be called as a witness, and that will be a very difficult direct and cross for both officers, and the MPD.

I just don't think there is any way he will be found not guilty of all 3 of the charges.

 

[K_Z]

This is new information I don't recall hearing or reading before. Wow!

• The prosecution will be allowed to present evidence that about an-hour-and-a-half before Damond’s call, someone else had called police to request a welfare check on a woman on the street who possibly had dementia. Noor and Harrity responded to the call but did not find the woman.

Prosecutors wrote in a previous court filing that the officers later responded to the same vicinity for Damond’s call. The officers should have considered that Damond could have been the woman from the welfare check and was not a threat, the prosecution argued.

Prosecution's case against Noor takes a hit with restrictions on trial evidence

So now one has to wonder if Justine Damond may have also possibly heard a woman with dementia crying out, and mistook that for a sexual assault?

I think this is a HUGELY RELATIVE new piece of information to put into context. Noor and Harrity were the SAME officers who responded to the SAME location, only 90 min earlier!

 

[Betty P]

I was just going to post that article----IMO Noor is a bad actor

I had the same feeling when reading the latest article as I did when Justine was first killed - Noor has major anger and control issues. By control, it's not just his own self-control, it's more a problem of him needing to be in control of others and exacting severe, deadly punishment when someone asserts their own independence or isn't completely subservient to and terrified of him.

He wants people to fear him. He needs to be locked away where he's no longer a danger to others or deported back to his home country, if appropriate. JMO

 

[ilovewings]

Betty: I sure hope there is proper justice for Justine Damond: she so deserves it, and as you pointed out he has demonstrated an inability to control his anger, and I would suggest: rage.

 

[PrairieWind]

Noor of course doesn't have to testify and his defense doesn't HAVE to give a theory. But if the defense is going to claim that Noor was felt threatened or was worried about an ambush, it is going to be very difficult to present that defense without Noor taking the stand to say that. If he takes the stand, then the fact that he wouldn't talk to investigators after the shooting is all fair game. It is going to be interesting to see how they try to do this.
I don't think he will be convicted on the 2nd degree murder charge, but more likely the 3rd degree or manslaughter. I feel confident that he will be convicted of something.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Final court dates set leading to April 1 trial of former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor

 

[turaj]

This is new information I don't recall hearing or reading before. Wow!



Prosecution's case against Noor takes a hit with restrictions on trial evidence

So now one has to wonder if Justine Damond may have also possibly heard a woman with dementia crying out, and mistook that for a sexual assault?

I think this is a HUGELY RELATIVE new piece of information to put into context. Noor and Harrity were the SAME officers who responded to the SAME location, only 90 min earlier!

That is extraordinary info. I live close by and honestly had not heard that....agree Noor has to get on the stand and I don't think he will evoke much sympathy. Jury selection will take a long time here...complex community relationships exist between the Police and residents and add to that the Somali tensions we have going here and it will be a tough process...of course most have heard of this case and frankly I would not want a juror that is so isolated that they have not heard of it! I guess no cameras in court here in Mn. Are there plans for any of the court media to cover this from inside the court. I would love to go down for a day or two if there was a chance of getting in...might try to do that.

 

[turaj]

I do have to wonder as we have a very tense police vs. everyone including Somali community here in Twin Cities...how this will play out in terms of backlash...if he is not convicted many like myself will be outraged and if he is then his community will go crazy. Should be some interesting days ahead here.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Pre-trial hearing set in Noor case

A court hearing for a former Minneapolis police officer charged in a fatal shooting case is scheduled for Friday morning. The hearing begins at 9 a.m.

 

[kittycat3]

I was just going to post that article----IMO Noor is a bad actor

What makes you say this?

My own opinion is (this May be unpopular) is that there is no true justice for Justine - the best outcome we can hope for is to change the hiring policy so unqualified people like Noor aren’t given a chance to kill innocent people in the first place. And put policies into place to identify & have ability to take action when cops act out (ie when Noor pulled gun at motorist at prior traffic stop). As sad as it is for me to think, punishing Noor is not going to bring real justice for Justine. I think he did a terrible thing and never should have had a badge or gun- he obviously didn’t have the right skills or temperament for a police officer - but don’t see other evidence that this guy is going to cause future violence (as long as he isn’t a cop
Or allowed to have a gun.). If he sits in jail, he’s got a child that would grow up without a father and taxpayers fund yet another prisoner sitting in jail for what? Will it make our streets safer, Will Noor be rehabilitated there?
Why did Minneapolis give him a gun, that is the important issue that will fix root cause.

I also highly doubt his lawyers will put him on the stand, too risky.

 

[ilovewings]

Noor took a human life --- for no reason---
for me it is simple- he needs to be punished as in go to prison
as far as i know he has never accepted responsibility for what he did
nor has he expressed remorse and none of us know if he is capable of violence
in the future--but we do know he committed violence when he murdered
this innocent woman

 

[K_Z]

Jury selection begins tomorrow, April 1st, in the trial of Mohammed Noor.

There will be no cameras in the courtroom, but 8 seats are reserved for media (4 local, and 4 national/ international.)

What you need to know before the Mohamed Noor trial starts Monday

'Justice for Justine' activists frustrated by public's limited access in Noor trial

Judge restricts media, public access to fired Minneapolis officer's murder trial

 

[K_Z]

With Noor’s trial set to begin Monday, Judge Kathryn L. Quaintance cited the need to preserve “order and decorum” in issuing an order this week that places it in a courtroom that holds about two dozen seats — half the size of some others in the building. The judge reserved eight places for the media and 11 for the public. Quaintance also banned laptops, cellphones and recording devices from the floor on which the trial will take place, authorizing that people be searched to ensure compliance.

Judge restricts media, public access to fired Minneapolis officer's murder trial