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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 18 July 2017

Relatives demand answers in fatal Minnesota police shooting

By AMY FORLITI Trade, saying they “are try- The statement added: “He
Associated Press ing to come to terms with joined the police force to
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rela- this tragedy and to under- serve the community and
tives and neighbors of an stand why this has hap- to protect the people he
Australian woman fatally pened.” serves. Officer Noor is a
shot by Minneapolis po- Authorities did not release caring person with a family
lice over the weekend the woman’s name, but he loves, and he empathiz-
demanded answers Mon- the Star Tribune identified es with the loss others are
day about the mysterious her as Damond, from Syd- experiencing.”
shooting in which the med- ney, Australia. The newspa- The Star Tribune, citing
itation teacher and bride- per reported that she was three people with knowl-
to-be was reportedly killed engaged to be married in edge of the shooting it did
by an officer who fired from August and was using her not name, said the officers
the passenger seat as the fiance’s last name. Her pulled into the alley in a
woman stood outside the maiden name was Justine single squad car, and Da-
driver’s door. Authorities Ruszczyk. Almost two days mond talked to the driver.
released no details about after her death, police of- The newspaper’s sources
what led to the shooting of fered no public explana- said the officer in the pas-
Justine Damond, whose fi- tion and referred ques- This undated photo provided by Stephen Govel/www.stephen- senger seat shot Damond
ance said she had called tions to the state’s Bureau govel.com shows Justine Damond, of Sydney, Australia, who through the driver’s-side
911 to report what she be- of Criminal Apprehension, was fatally shot by police in Minneapolis on Saturday, July 15, door. A BCA spokeswom-
lieved was a sexual assault which was investigating. 2017. Authorities say that officers were responding to a 911 call an did not return messages
in an alley near her home. A Monday statement from about a possible assault when the woman was shot. seeking to confirm that ac-
(Stephen Govel/www.stephengovel.com via AP)
Police said only that offi- the BCA said more infor- count.
cers were responding to a mation would be provided the officer who fired as His attorney, Tom Plunkett, Neighbor Joan Hargrave
call about a possible as- once the officers were in- Mohamed Noor, who is a released a statement say- called the killing “an exe-
sault late Saturday when terviewed. The BCA said Somali-American. A city ing Noor offered his condo- cution” and said there was
she was killed. There were Monday that no weapons newsletter said he joined lences to the family “and no reason for a well-trained
no known witnesses other were found at the scene. the police department in keeps them in his daily officer to see Damond as a
than the two officers in the Local media identified March 2015. thoughts and prayers.” threat.q
squad car that showed up.
A newspaper report said
Damond was shot while 3 indicted in NY massacre by violent street gang
standing alongside the car
in her pajamas.
Her fiancé, Don Damond, By FRANK ELTMAN The indictment identified woman also declined to munities of Brentwood and
said the family has been Associated Press the defendants in the comment. Central Islip, on eastern
given almost no additional MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — Long Island case as Alexis Four young men between Long Island, since Septem-
information about what Three alleged members Hernandez, Santis Leonel the ages of 16 and 20 were ber. In all, 19 killings have
happened after police ar- of the MS-13 street gang Ortiz-Flores and Omar An- found hacked to death been blamed on MS-13
rived. have been charged in the tonio Villata. Attorneys for in a brutal massacre that since January 2016.
“We’ve lost the dearest of murders of four young men Ortiz-Flores and Hernandez authorities blamed on the Bertha Ullaguari, the moth-
people, and we’re desper- found hacked to death in declined to comment; the MS-13 gang. er of 18-year-old Jorge Ti-
ate for information,” he a New York park in April, name of Villata’s attorney The four were found with gre, one of the victims in
said. “Piecing together Jus- according to an indict- was not immediately avail- what police described the killings, said she only
tine’s last moments before ment that was quietly un- able. All three suspects as “significant trauma” learned of the arrests af-
the homicide would be a sealed Monday. identified in the indictment wounds that Suffolk Coun- ter they became public
small comfort as we grieve The three suspects were are in custody. ty Police Commissioner Monday. She said she did
this tragedy.” arraigned Thursday in U.S. A federal prosecutor de- Timothy Sini said at the not recognize the names
Damond’s family members District Court on Long Is- clined to comment, saying time indicated the work of of any of the suspects
in Australia also released land, according to the at- any information released MS-13. charged in the indictment.
a statement Monday torney for one of the men. about the case would The killings were among 11 “I demand justice, what
through Australia’s Depart- Their next court appear- jeopardize an ongoing in- that have struck the work- can I say,” she told The As-
ment of Foreign Affairs and ance is likely in September. vestigation. An FBI spokes- ing-class immigrant com- sociated Press. q