The Australian woman who was “mistakenly” shot dead by Minneapolis police on Saturday night has been identified as Justine Ruszczyk-Damond, originally from Sydney.
According to the Huffington Post, the 40-year-old hasn’t been formally identified, but has been named, with DFAT releasing the following statement on behalf of her family this afternoon:
“This is a very difficult time for our family. We are trying to come to terms with this tragedy and to understand why this has happened. We will not make any further comment or statement and ask that you respect our privacy. Thank you.”
She was engaged to Minnesota man Don Damond, and was a trained yoga instructor and small business owner. Reports suggest that she called 911 on Saturday night to report a possible assault behind her house.
After police arrived, one of the officers “fired their weapon, fatally striking [her]“, according to the Minneapolis Police.
Press release from the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension regarding the officer-involved shooting on the 5100 block of Washburn Ave. South. pic.twitter.com/wRR9sA3gbt
— Minneapolis Police (@MinneapolisPD) July 16, 2017
Her step-son has taken to Facebook to condemn the actions of the police.
Source: Huffington Post.
Image: Facebook.
