Noor Guilty of Manslaughter and 3rd Degree Murder
Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - The jury in the Mohammed Noor trial has reached a verdict.
The panel of 10 men and 2 women today found the former Minneapolis police officer guilty of 3rd degree murder and 2nd degree manslaughter for fatally shooting an unarmed Justine Damond in the alley behind her home in July 2017. Noor was acquitted of the most serious charge he faced, 2nd degree murder.
Noor and his attorney tried to convince the jury his decision to fire his gun was reasonable because he feared he and his partner were targets of an ambush, but prosecutors pointed out he fired the weapon before he was even able to see Damond's hands as she approached their police vehicle. Moments earlier she had placed a 911 call to report hearing what sounded like a possible sexual assault behind her house.
The jury began deliberations Monday afternoon before returning to the Hennepin County Courthouse Tuesday morning. The announcement that a verdict had been reached came around 3:30 PM and the jury's decision was read in court shortly after 5 PM.