On Tuesday, the Minneapolis jury convicted ex police officer, Mohamed Noor, of 3rd degree murder of Justine Ruszczyk. 

 On July 15th, 2017, Ruszczyk called 911 because she believed a woman was being sexually assaulted behind her home. When Ruszczyk approached the police cruiser, she was fatally shot by Noor, who believed she was a threat to him and his partner. Ruszczyk’s fiancee, Don Damond was heartbroken over the incident. “That night there was a tragic lapse of care and complete disregard for the sanctity of life.” During the shooting, both Noor and his partner had on body cameras, however they were turned off. 

This is the second time a police officer in Minnesota has been charged with fatally shooting an individual, and many Somali-Americans questioned if Somalian officer, Noor would be given a fair trial. Noor’s cousin, Goth Ali, was upset over the trial’s outcome. “What happened was injustice. This is shocking. My cousin didn’t get a fair trial.” However, the victim’s family believes that the verdict was fair considering the circumstances. 

Noor has been fired from the police department and can face up to 25 years in years in prison for 3rd degree murder. After the incident, the Minnesota Police Department worked to improve their body camera policy.