TRAGIC

Family of Unarmed Woman Fatally Shot by Minneapolis Cop to Receive $20 Million From City

Justine Ruszczyk Damond called police to her home in 2017 to report a potential sexual assault.

The city of Minneapolis has agreed to pay $20 million to the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, an unarmed woman who was shot to death by a police officer in 2017. According to NBC News, the family sued the city for $50 million after former police officer Mohamed Noor shot the 40-year-old while responding to her report of a potential rape or sexual assault next to her home. The lawsuit was put on hold pending Noor’s criminal trial, which came to an end earlier this week. The officer was sentenced to 15 years in prison for third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. At the trial, Noor maintained that he thought the 40-year-old woman was a threat when he saw her approaching his police vehicle. Damond did not have a weapon on her at the time. “This is not a victory for anyone, but rather a way for our city to move forward,” Mayor Jacob Frey told reporters on Friday. “And I do believe that we will move forward together, united in the shared believe that such a tragedy should never occur in our city.”