Family of woman shot by Minn. cop seeks changes

MINNEAPOLIS — The family of an Australian woman shot dead by a Minneapolis police officer wants changes in police protocols, including a look at how often officers are required to turn on their body cameras, a family attorney told local media.

Other police shootings around the country — particularly the killings of black men by police officers — led to calls for changes that included everything from bias training for officers to upgraded technology. Sometimes those changes have been initiated by departments themselves; sometimes they have been ordered by the federal government or through a lawsuit.

In the Minneapolis case, Officer Mohamed Noor shot Justine Damond, 40, once through the window of his police vehicle after she approached the car, minutes after she called 911 to report a possible rape. Noor’s partner told state investigators he had been startled by a loud noise right before the shooting.

Noor, a Somali-American who has been with the department almost two years, cannot be forced to talk to the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. He will have to give a statement as part of his department's internal investigation.

An attorney for Damond’s family, Robert Bennett, told Minneapolis television station WCCO that the family is in disbelief. He said the Australian woman was no threat, and any notion that the officers feared an ambush is “ludicrous.”

Authorities said neither officer had turned on his body camera.

Bennett, who helped the family of black motorist Philando Castile reach a nearly $3 million settlement after he was killed by a suburban police officer last summer, said the Minneapolis department’s body camera policy, and how often the cameras are turned on, are among issues the family wants examined.

Minneapolis police have said they were reviewing their body camera policy before Damond’s death. Assistant Chief Medaria Arradondo said police will soon release changes to body camera requirements, without elaborating. Arradondo said supervisors would work with patrol officers to ensure the cameras are activated more frequently.

In a blog post Thursday, Mayor Betsy Hodges said low use of body cameras is “not acceptable,” and said she expects officers to activate them the moment they begin responding to any call. She also said she would push for an immediate audit of the program.

Damond’s family also hopes the investigation wraps up as soon as possible.

Her family says all they want to do “is bring Justine home to Australia” to give her a farewell in her hometown among family and friends. They ask for time to grieve in private.

Meanwhile, a “march for healing” was planned Thursday night for Damond. Organizers and community members planned to gather at her home for a candlelight walk to a lakefront park.

AARON LAVINSKY/AP A woman visits a memorial for Justine Damond at a south Minneapolis church.