Fiance of woman shot, killed by Minneapolis cop speaks out
MINNEAPOLIS — The fiance of Justine Damond, the woman shot and killed by a Minneapolis police officer in the alley behind her home Saturday night, said his “utterly devastated” family has been told little by law enforcement about what transpired.
“We lost the dearest of people and are desperate for information,” Don Damond said Monday afternoon. “Piecing together Justine’s last moments before the homicide would provide small comfort as we grieve this tragedy.”
The officer who shot Damond has been identified as Officer Mohamed Noor. Meanwhile, state investigators have confirmed that they did not find any weapons at the scene. Sources identified his partner on the scene, who did not fire any shots, as Officer Matthew Harrity.
Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau issued a statement Monday afternoon saying she would request a speedy investigation into the shooting, which she called “tragic.”
“I have many of the same questions and it is why we immediately asked for an external and independent investigation into the officer-involved shooting death,” said Harteau, who is out of state “on a personal commitment” but is receiving regular briefings and will return soon, according to a police spokesperson. “I also want to assure you that I understand why so many people have so many questions at this point. I’ve asked for the investigation to be expedited to provide transparency and to answer as many questions as quickly as we can.”
Flanked by his family while standing in front of his Fulton neighborhood home, Don Damond read a brief statement saying his fiance called 911 to report “what she believed was an active sexual assault occurring nearby.”
“Sadly, her family and I have been provided with almost no information from law enforcement regarding what happened after police arrived.”
Emergency dispatch audio posted on PoliceClips.com offers some insight into the response of police and other emergency personnel. The Twin Cities website monitors law enforcement scanner dispatches and shares them online. “Female screaming behind the building,” says the dispatcher at shortly before 11:28 p.m.
Later, an officer declares “shots fired,” and requests emergency medical personnel. “We’ve got one down” quickly follows.
A call was immediately made for emergency medical personnel to rush to the scene.
After the “shots fired” transmission, the initiation of CPR was reported from the scene, near the intersection of Washburn Avenue and 51st Street.
After the shooting, an officer says “no suspects at large.”
On Monday, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said officers were responding to a 911 call of a “possible assault.” “At one point an officer fired their weapon, fatally striking a woman,” the news release said. “BCA crime scene personnel located no weapons at the scene.”
The BCA confirmed that an autopsy has been completed. After confirming that there was no body camera or dashcam footage of the incident, the agency said the investigation “does not determine whether a law enforcement agency policy was violated. That would be reviewed through the agency’s internal affairs process.”
Don Damond was going to marry Justine Damond, who was from Sydney, Australia, in August. He described her as a teacher to many while “living a life of openness, love and kindness.”