Groups Pressure Hennepin Co. Att'y To Charge Cop In Woman's Death
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Neighbors of Justine Damond were joined by community activists Tuesday to demand that charges be filed against the Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed her.
Damond was killed in back of her Minneapolis home in July after she called 911 to report hearing an assault.
Officer Mohamed Noor reached across his partner's chest and shot Damond through the squad car window as she approached the vehicle.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said in August he would make a decision on whether to charge Noor by the end of this calendar year.
On the street and near the alley where Damond was shot and killed, "Justice for Justine" signs still line the streets. At a midday news conference, members of the group bearing the same name as the signs joined other community activists to demand a decision by Freeman before the end of the year.
"We are anxiously awaiting his response, along with Justine's family here and in her home country of Australia," Katherine Hamberg said. "The world is watching and no one understands what is talking so long."
Activists also asked that the announcement not be timed too close to the holidays so it would not be overshadowed. But Freeman, speaking at a press availability on Tuesday, indicated the decision might not come by the end of this calendar year.
"The investigation is still going. There is still work to be done and we are doing it," Freeman said.
The activists, including a representative of Black Lives Matter, say Damond's death should be seen as part of a pattern of what they call unjustified police shootings.
"We want Mike Freeman to know we want this officer to face charges," Monique Cullars-Doty said. "We want justice for all. We are here standing in solidarity because we want justice for Justine."
The group said whenever Freeman announces his decision, they will hold a rally regardless of what he decides. That rally will be at 50th Street and Washburn Avenue in Minneapolis, which is where the shooting happened.
