Somali-American Police Association: Noor Charges Are 'Baseless'

HENNEPIN COUNTY, MN — Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor acted "in good faith and in accordance with his department’s policy" the night he fatally shot Justine Ruszczyk Damond, says the Somali-American Police Association.

The group — which states its mission is to improve relationships between police departments and Somali-American communities across the nation — said it was "saddened" by the murder and manslaughter charges brought against Noor this week.

"We believe these charges are baseless and politically motivated, if not racially motivated as well," the association said in a statement released Thursday.

"We believe [Hennepin County Attorney Mike] Freeman is more interested in furthering his political agenda than he is in the facts surrounding this case. The charges brought against Officer Noor are not intended to serve justice; rather, they are meant to make an "example" of him."

Damond was killed on the evening of July 15, minutes after she made a 911 call to report a possible rape behind her Minneapolis home. She lived on Washburn Avenue South with her fiancé, Don Damond, 50, whom she had planned to marry in August 2017.

According to Freeman, who announced the charges against Noor Tuesday, there is no evidence that Noor "encountered a threat, appreciated a threat, investigated a threat, or confirmed a threat that justified the decision to use deadly force."

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Damond Shooting: Minneapolis Officer Noor Charged With Murder

Image via City of Minneapolis