Minnesota Supreme Court Overturns Third Degree Murder Conviction of Former Police Officer Who Killed White Woman

The Minnesota Supreme Court overturned ex-officer Mohamed Noor’s Third Degree Murder Conviction of an Australian woman who was shot and killed in 2017. The court decided that there was insufficient evidence to support the conviction and instead he will be re-sentenced on second-degree manslaughter.

Noor was originally convicted by a jury and had been sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison. He will now be re-sentenced under second-degree manslaughter, which holds a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Hennepin County District Judge Kathryn Quaintance delivered the original sentence.

Justine Ruszczyk was a yoga instructor who had recently relocated to the United States to live with her fiance in Minnesota. Ruszczyk had called the police to report that she heard what sounded like a woman being raped. Two police officers responded to the call from dispatch. When Ruszczyk approached the police car, Noor, reportedly believing they were being ambushed shot Ruszczyk in the abdomen, she passed about 20 minutes later.

Noor’s second-degree manslaughter conviction still remains, however, and he will face resentencing on that conviction alone. https://t.co/hKk1hDzXd1

— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) September 15, 2021

Ruszczyk’s fiance Don Damond said in a statement, “In many ways, this has felt like a double blow against justice.”

“My hope and work since Justine’s death has been to try to prevent a further loss of life at the hands of stressed and inadequately trained police officers. The Minneapolis Police Department has not made any meaningful progress towards transformation. And now Noor is not being held accountable for killing my (fiancée) … It truly feels like there has been no justice for Justine.”

John Ruszczyk, Justine’s father, wrote in his impact statement at the original sentencing, “Justine’s death has left me incomplete – it is as if I have lost a limb or a leg.”

“Dear Justine, I miss you so much every day, every moment. I don’t understand how such a thing could happen to you and to us.”

Justine’s family was awarded $20 million from the city in a settlement that was agreed to three days after the original conviction of Noor. Their original suit asked for $50 million.

Noor now awaits his new sentencing. Ruszczyks’ family also released a statement, “We are again heartbroken, because we agreed with the trial court, lower appellate court, and, most importantly, the jury of Minnesota residents who believed it does.”

Many feel if it was a black woman and a white man that there may have been BLM riots. But since it was a white woman and a Muslim man, crickets.