A Police Officer is Charged with Murder in the Alleged Fatal Police Shooting of Justine Damond
On July 15, 2017, 40-year-old Justine Damond — an Australian woman and resident in Minneapolis, Minnesota – called 9-1-1 to report suspicious activity near her home. When police arrived, Damond, who was unarmed, was allegedly fatally shot by one of the police officers. There were protests after the incident, and the police chief of the city was reportedly ousted in connection with the alleged police-involved fatal shooting of Damond. On Tuesday, March 20, 2018, the police officer who allegedly pulled the trigger was arrested and booked into Hennepin County Jail on charges of second-degree manslaughter and third-degree murder. The Hennepin County attorney said that the officer abused his authority when he used deadly force and he did not act reasonably.
On the night of her death, Damond had called 9-1-1 twice to report that it seemed a sexual assault may be happening outside of her home. She lived in an affluent area of the city. Police officers said they had their emergency lights turned off and they were driving through an alley close to Damond’s home. They say that they were startled when they heard a noise and saw a figure outside the vehicle. Within moments, the officer who was the passenger in the cruiser, fired his weapon through the driver’s side window, which allegedly fatally struck Damond.
Police are unaware of a video being shot of the incident, and the body cameras that officers were wearing were not turned on.
The police officer charged with murder and manslaughter was booked on $500,000 bail.
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