MINNEAPOLIS — Attorneys for the former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman after she called 911 about a possible assault have filed an appeal.
Mohamed Noor was convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the July 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia. He was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.
Noor testified at the trial that he heard a bang on the side of the driver’s side of the squad car and thought Damond, a 40-year-old dual citizen of the United States and Australia, was a threat.
But a jury in late April convicted Noor of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The jury found the former police officer not guilty of the top charge of second-degree murder.
Damond, a life coach, was to be married and had already taken the last name of her fiancé, Don Damond.
In their appeal filed Tuesday, Noor's attorneys said they expect to raise several issues. They plan to argue that the judge erred by allowing charges not supported by probable cause to go to a jury, allowing prosecutorial misconduct, limiting Noor's right to present a complete defense and improperly instructing the jury on the third-degree murder count.
Noor has been moved to an out-of-state prison for his own safety but his location has not been disclosed.