Former US Police officer Mohamed Noor has been found guilty of 2nd degree manslaughter and 3rd degree murder over the shooting death of Australian woman Justine Damond Ruszyzck.
The jury found Noor guilty on two charges but acquitted him of a third charge of second degree murder.
33-year-old Noor was working as a police officer when he shot and killed Damond. Damond had called 911 to investigate screaming she heard behind her south Minneapolis home on July 15, 2017.
A jury of 10 men and women delivered their verdict on Wednesday morning, bringing to an end a trial that stretched five weeks.
Noor’s defence had argued the shooting of the 40-year-old Damond was an accident, a “perfect storm” that was “a tragedy not a crime” saying both Noor and his partner, Matthew Harrity, were in reasonable fear for their lives.
In his testimony, Noor had claimed he heard Harrity say his gun was stuck in its holster when he fired his gun at Damond. Neither Noor nor Harrity had their body cameras turned on at the time of the shooting.
Damond’s fiancé Don Damond and her family attended the trial as the prosecution argued Noor’s actions were reckless and illegal.
