Murder Conviction Overturned In Killing Of Justine Damond Ruszczyk

The third-degree murder conviction against former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor in the killing of Australian woman Justine Damond Ruszczyk has been overturned.

Noor was convicted in 2017 of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the alleged mistaken killing of Mrs Ruszczyk Damond who had called 911 reporting a possible sexual assault. 

The National Briefing

In an unexpected turn of events, the Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday said the murder charge did not fit the circumstances in the case.

The first police officer in the state's history to be found guilty of murder for killing a civilian Mr Noor was sentenced to 12 and a half years on the murder count, but was not sentenced for manslaughter.

One of Noor’s attorneys who worked on the appeal, Caitlinrose Fisher said she hoped the wrongful conviction would lead to greater equity.

“We’ve said from the beginning that this was a tragedy, but it wasn’t a murder, and now the supreme court agrees and recognises that,” she said.

In his 2019 trial, the former officer testified that he feared for his and his partner’s life after hearing a loud bang on his squad car, that he reached across his partner and fired through the driver’s window.

Noor had “really believed that he was saving his partner’s life that night, and instead he tragically caused the loss of an innocent life … I think just having reaffirmation that a mistake like that isn’t murder will mean more than words can say,” Fisher said.

If Noor is sentenced for manslaughter, he could be eligible for supervised release before the year is out.

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