“Shots fired … we have one down,” says one officer.
Justine, a Sydney-born spiritual healer, yoga and meditation coach was gunned down in the alley behind her home in Minneapolis just before midnight on Saturday. She had made a 911 call earlier in the evening to report a disturbance outside her home, believed to be an assault.
Venturing outside in her pyjamas to speak with police upon their arrival, Damond was allegedly shot multiple times by officer Mohammed Noor, who had only just completed his training.
The tragedy, which follows a number of other high-profile police shootings in the US, has caused widespread fury across the country. Damond’s friends and family in Minneapolis have been left reeling at the slack protocols used by police, who didn’t even have their body or dashboard cameras on to capture the incident. The community has rallied together, protesting police brutality outside Justine’s home over the past 24 hours.
Chillingly, The Washington Post reported that Justine was one of at least 524 people to have been fatally shot by police in the US this year and the fifth in Minnesota.
Justine’s death comes as a huge shock to her loved ones who described her as peaceful, calm and positive force. Dying in such horrifically violent circumstances was utterly at odds with Damond’s character, who had dedicated her life to helping others.
Yesterday, Justine’s American fiancé Don Damond, thanked family and friends for “the amazing outpouring of love and support.”
“Our hearts are broken and we are utterly devastated by the loss of Justine,” he said.
“Sadly, her family and I have been provided with almost no additional information from law enforcement regarding what happened after police arrived.
“We’ve lost the dearest of people and we’re desperate for information.
“Piecing together Justine’s last moments before the homicide would be a small comfort as we grieve this tragedy.”
Justine’s death is now being investigated by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension rather than the Minneapolis Police Department.
Vale.