Noor charged in Damond shooting

It can’t come as any surprise to those who have followed the killing of Justine Damond by Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor this past July 15 in Minneapolis that Noor has been charged. Our many posts on the case are accessible here. Early in the case, for example, I reached out to a trusted source in the Minneapolis police department for comment. He told me that if there weren’t some sort of mitigating circumstances (and he said he was struggling to imagine what they could be), the case represented the most egregious police shooting in his lifetime, if not longer.

Based on all the known evidence, the conclusion that Noor would be charged seemed unavoidable. The circumstances are suggestive at best of gross negligence on Noor’s part. Noor himself refused to talk. No innocent explanation was ever publicly offered. Only the long delay raised a question. Today at long last comes word that charges have been filed against Noor:

Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor has turned himself in on murder and manslaughter charges related to the July shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. A warrant was issued Tuesday for Noor’s arrest on charges filed in Hennepin County District Court. Noor was booked into Hennepin County jail at 11:16 a.m., according to jail records, on a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension warrant for third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Bail was set at $500,000. Jail officials declined to release his booking photo. The charging documents, which have been filed under seal, have not yet been made public.

According to jail records, Noor is charged with third degree murder “perpetrating eminently dangerous act and evincing depraved mind” and second-degree manslaughter, “culpable negligence creating unreasonable risk.”

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman convened a grand jury to take additional evidence in the case but reserved the charging decision to himself. He has announced a 2:30 p.m. news conference this afternoon to discuss the case. We will have more to say as is warranted.

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