Post by nighttimer on Jul 17, 2017 21:55:01 GMT -5
In Minneapolis, the place where Philando Castile was slain by Officer Jeronimo Yanez (and walked away with $48,000 in back pay after a jury found him not guilty), saw another cop vs. civilian shooting occur this weekend.
This time everything is different. And yet strangely remains the same.
Relatives and neighbors of an Australian woman fatally shot by Minneapolis police over the weekend demanded answers Monday about the shooting in which the meditation teacher was reportedly killed by an officer who fired from the passenger seat of a squad car.
Authorities released no details about what led up to the shooting of Justine Maia Damond, 40, whose fiancé said she had called 911 to report what she believed was a sexual assault in an alley near her home.
The Hennepin County medical examiner’s office reported Monday that Damond died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Police said officers were responding to a call about a possible assault late Saturday when she was killed. There were no known witnesses other than the two officers in the squad car that showed up.
Her fiancé, Don Damond, said the family has been given almost no additional information about what happened after police arrived.
“We’ve lost the dearest of people, and we’re desperate for information,” he said. “Piecing together Justine’s last moments before the homicide would be a small comfort as we grieve this tragedy.”
Damond’s family members in Australia also released a statement Monday through Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, saying they “are trying to come to terms with this tragedy and to understand why this has happened.”
Don Damond said in a news conference Monday near his home that he and his family have been given almost no information about what happened to Justine Damond after police arrived.
Media reports identified her as Damond, from Sydney, Australia. She was engaged to be married in August and was using her fiance’s last name. Her maiden name was Justine Ruszczyk.
The officer who fired was identified as Mohamed Noor, who is a Somali-American. A city newsletter said he joined the police department in March 2015.
Justine Damond doesn't fit the profile. She was White, not Black or Latino. She was blonde and a woman, not a Black male. As best we know, she was unarmed, not mentally ill, had no criminal record, and no one has described Justine as anything but a saint on earth.
She doesn't fit the profile. Now we'll see if that makes any difference. A pretty blonde from Australia comes to America and dies under highly mysterious circumstances. That's not good. Somebody may have to pay for that.
Officer Noor might be that rarest of exceptions. A cop who actually gets punished for recklessly taking a life. Because some lives matter more than others.
Especially when they don't fit the profile.
This time everything is different. And yet strangely remains the same.
Relatives and neighbors of an Australian woman fatally shot by Minneapolis police over the weekend demanded answers Monday about the shooting in which the meditation teacher was reportedly killed by an officer who fired from the passenger seat of a squad car.
Authorities released no details about what led up to the shooting of Justine Maia Damond, 40, whose fiancé said she had called 911 to report what she believed was a sexual assault in an alley near her home.
The Hennepin County medical examiner’s office reported Monday that Damond died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Police said officers were responding to a call about a possible assault late Saturday when she was killed. There were no known witnesses other than the two officers in the squad car that showed up.
Her fiancé, Don Damond, said the family has been given almost no additional information about what happened after police arrived.
“We’ve lost the dearest of people, and we’re desperate for information,” he said. “Piecing together Justine’s last moments before the homicide would be a small comfort as we grieve this tragedy.”
Damond’s family members in Australia also released a statement Monday through Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, saying they “are trying to come to terms with this tragedy and to understand why this has happened.”
Don Damond said in a news conference Monday near his home that he and his family have been given almost no information about what happened to Justine Damond after police arrived.
Media reports identified her as Damond, from Sydney, Australia. She was engaged to be married in August and was using her fiance’s last name. Her maiden name was Justine Ruszczyk.
The officer who fired was identified as Mohamed Noor, who is a Somali-American. A city newsletter said he joined the police department in March 2015.
Justine Damond doesn't fit the profile. She was White, not Black or Latino. She was blonde and a woman, not a Black male. As best we know, she was unarmed, not mentally ill, had no criminal record, and no one has described Justine as anything but a saint on earth.
She doesn't fit the profile. Now we'll see if that makes any difference. A pretty blonde from Australia comes to America and dies under highly mysterious circumstances. That's not good. Somebody may have to pay for that.
Officer Noor might be that rarest of exceptions. A cop who actually gets punished for recklessly taking a life. Because some lives matter more than others.
Especially when they don't fit the profile.