Minnesota police officer who shot, killed Australian woman offers condolences
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Justine Damond was shot and killed Saturday night by a police officer responding to her call about a possible crime happening nearby. (Stephen Govel via AP)
The Minnesota police officer who fatally shot an Australian woman Saturday night has offered his condolences to her family.
The officer, identified by his attorney on Monday as Somali-American Mohamed Noor, said in a statement that he came to the U.S. at a young age and that he believes being a police officer is his calling.
Noor, who joined the force two years ago, was one of the responding officers on Saturday night after 40-year-old Justine Damond called authorities to report what she believed was a sexual assault happening nearby.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}AUSTRALIAN WOMAN SHOT DEAD BY MINNEAPOLIS POLICE AFTER CALLING TO REPORT POSSIBLE CRIME
Damond's shooting death has been ruled a homicide by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office.
Minnesota police Chief Janee Harteau said Damond’s shooting is a “tragic death.” Harteau said that she immediately asked for an outside investigation, Fox 9 reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But Damond’s American fiancé, Don, said in a news conference Monday that he and Justine’s family are “desperate for information” in the shooting and that they just want to “piece together Justine’s last moments.”
Noor allegedly shot and killed Damond, but the body cameras on the responding officers were not activated, and the police car’s camera did not capture the shooting.
Investigators are trying to determine if any video of the shooting exists.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.