The super rich will all end up swinging from lamp posts when 98% of the population is considered to be surplus. It will happen eventually unless there is a radical re-think.
Oops, I Did It Again
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It has. The backpacks are about half the weight and twice as strong as what was available when we were kids.
Minnesota court orders ex-cop resentenced in woman's shooting death
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:Sep 15, 2021 • 8 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor reads a statement before being sentenced by Judge Kathryn Quaintance in the fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond at the Hennepin County District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 7, 2019.
Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor reads a statement before being sentenced by Judge Kathryn Quaintance in the fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond at the Hennepin County District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 7, 2019. PHOTO BY LEILA NAVIDI /AFP/Getty Images
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The Minnesota Supreme Court vacated the third-degree murder conviction of a former Minneapolis police officer on Wednesday and ordered his resentencing on a lesser conviction in the death of an Australian-American woman who called for emergency help.
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The ruling, based on an issue specific to state law, may figure into the conviction earlier this year of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin who was found guilty of third-degree murder and other charges in the death of George Floyd.
The woman, Justine Ruszczyk, 40, called the police on the night of July 15, 2017, after hearing a woman screaming near her home. As she approached the police vehicle, the police officer, Mohamed Noor, fired his gun at her from the passenger seat, killing her.
In 2019, a jury acquitted Noor, 35, of second-degree murder but convicted him of third-degree “depraved-mind murder” and second-degree manslaughter, and he was sentenced to 12-1/2 years in prison. An appeals court upheld the convictions.
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“The issue before us on appeal is not whether Noor is criminally responsible for Ruszczyk’s death; he is, and his conviction of second-degree manslaughter stands,” state Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea wrote.
But the high court overturned the third-degree murder conviction because it said the lower court erred in finding that Noor committed a “depraved-mind murder” while at the same time finding that he specifically intended to shoot Ruszczyk.
Rather, the court found in a 28-page ruling that a “generalized indifference to human life” necessary for a third-degree murder conviction in Minnesota “cannot exist when the defendant’s conduct is directed with particularity at the person who is killed.”
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The court remanded the case back to the district court that originally sentenced Noor so that he could be resentenced.
Under state sentencing guidelines for second-degree manslaughter, Noor, a Somali immigrant who has been in custody since his April 2019 conviction, could be released as early as next fall.
Since 2005, only about a half of the 140 non-federal U.S. police officers charged with murder or manslaughter resulting from an on-duty shooting have been convicted, according to data compiled by a Bowling Green State University criminologist.
One of them was Chauvin. His killing of Floyd, a Black man, after pinning his neck to the ground with his knee on a Minneapolis street in 2020 sparked nationwide protests.
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Chauvin was convicted in April of second-degree murder and manslaughter in addition to third-degree murder, a charge the trial judge initially dismissed but later reinstated at the direction of the state Court of Appeals.
Since the appeals court based its decision in the Chauvin case on its now-overturned ruling that upheld Noor’s third-degree murder conviction, Chauvin’s third-degree murder conviction could be in jeopardy as well.
But since state rules require judges to impose sentences only on the most serious convictions, it is unlikely to affect Chauvin’s 22-1/2-year sentence, which was based on his second-degree murder guilty verdict.
Chauvin’s lead attorney, Eric Nelson, did not respond to a request for comment.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:Sep 15, 2021 • 8 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor reads a statement before being sentenced by Judge Kathryn Quaintance in the fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond at the Hennepin County District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 7, 2019.
Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor reads a statement before being sentenced by Judge Kathryn Quaintance in the fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond at the Hennepin County District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 7, 2019. PHOTO BY LEILA NAVIDI /AFP/Getty Images
Article content
The Minnesota Supreme Court vacated the third-degree murder conviction of a former Minneapolis police officer on Wednesday and ordered his resentencing on a lesser conviction in the death of an Australian-American woman who called for emergency help.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
The ruling, based on an issue specific to state law, may figure into the conviction earlier this year of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin who was found guilty of third-degree murder and other charges in the death of George Floyd.
The woman, Justine Ruszczyk, 40, called the police on the night of July 15, 2017, after hearing a woman screaming near her home. As she approached the police vehicle, the police officer, Mohamed Noor, fired his gun at her from the passenger seat, killing her.
In 2019, a jury acquitted Noor, 35, of second-degree murder but convicted him of third-degree “depraved-mind murder” and second-degree manslaughter, and he was sentenced to 12-1/2 years in prison. An appeals court upheld the convictions.
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STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
“The issue before us on appeal is not whether Noor is criminally responsible for Ruszczyk’s death; he is, and his conviction of second-degree manslaughter stands,” state Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea wrote.
But the high court overturned the third-degree murder conviction because it said the lower court erred in finding that Noor committed a “depraved-mind murder” while at the same time finding that he specifically intended to shoot Ruszczyk.
Rather, the court found in a 28-page ruling that a “generalized indifference to human life” necessary for a third-degree murder conviction in Minnesota “cannot exist when the defendant’s conduct is directed with particularity at the person who is killed.”
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
The court remanded the case back to the district court that originally sentenced Noor so that he could be resentenced.
Under state sentencing guidelines for second-degree manslaughter, Noor, a Somali immigrant who has been in custody since his April 2019 conviction, could be released as early as next fall.
Since 2005, only about a half of the 140 non-federal U.S. police officers charged with murder or manslaughter resulting from an on-duty shooting have been convicted, according to data compiled by a Bowling Green State University criminologist.
One of them was Chauvin. His killing of Floyd, a Black man, after pinning his neck to the ground with his knee on a Minneapolis street in 2020 sparked nationwide protests.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
Chauvin was convicted in April of second-degree murder and manslaughter in addition to third-degree murder, a charge the trial judge initially dismissed but later reinstated at the direction of the state Court of Appeals.
Since the appeals court based its decision in the Chauvin case on its now-overturned ruling that upheld Noor’s third-degree murder conviction, Chauvin’s third-degree murder conviction could be in jeopardy as well.
But since state rules require judges to impose sentences only on the most serious convictions, it is unlikely to affect Chauvin’s 22-1/2-year sentence, which was based on his second-degree murder guilty verdict.
Chauvin’s lead attorney, Eric Nelson, did not respond to a request for comment.
Minnesota court orders ex-cop resentenced in woman's shooting death
The Minnesota Supreme Court vacated the third-degree murder conviction of a former Minneapolis police officer on Wednesday and ordered his resentencing on a…
Ex-Minneapolis cop who killed 911 caller to be released from prison
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Amy Forliti
Publishing date:Jun 24, 2022 • 15 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
MINNEAPOLIS — The former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman who called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home is scheduled to be released from prison next week, months after his murder conviction was overturned and he was resentenced on a lesser charge.
Mohamed Noor, 36, is scheduled to be released from custody Monday, according to online Department of Corrections records.
Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old dual U.S.-Australian citizen and yoga teacher who was engaged to be married. But last year, the Minnesota Supreme Court tossed out his murder conviction and 12 1/2-year sentence, saying the murder charge didn’t apply to the circumstances of this case.
He was resentenced to four years and nine months on the manslaughter charge.
In Minnesota, it’s presumed that a defendant with good behavior will serve two-thirds of a sentence in prison and the rest on supervised release, commonly known as parole. The DOC’s website says Noor will be on supervised release until Jan. 24, 2024.
Damond’s father, John Ruszczyk, said Friday that the family was disappointed that Noor’s third-degree murder conviction was overturned.
“His release after a trivial sentence shows great disrespect to the wishes of the jury who represented the communities of Minneapolis and their wish to make a statement about the communities’ expectations of police behaviour and actions,” Ruszczyk wrote in response to emailed questions from The Associated Press.
After his conviction, Noor began serving his time at Minnesota’s maximum-security prison in Oak Park Heights, but the Star Tribune reported he was transferred to a facility in North Dakota in July 2019 for his own safety. Department of Corrections spokesman Nicholas Kimball said Noor is still out of state, but did not specify where.
“For safety reasons, we aren’t able to provide more detail than what is available on the public website, which is the scheduled date of release,” Kimball said.
It wasn’t clear whether Noor would return to Minnesota. His attorney, Tom Plunkett, declined to comment, saying, “at this point I just want to respect Mr. Noor’s privacy.”
Damond’s killing angered citizens in the U.S. and Australia, and led to the resignation of Minneapolis’ police chief. It also led the department to change its policy on body cameras; Noor and his partner didn’t have theirs activated when they were investigating Damond’s 911 call.
Noor testified at his 2019 trial that he and his partner were driving slowly in an alley when a loud bang on their police SUV made him fear for their lives. He said he saw a woman appear at the partner’s driver’s side window and raise her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat to stop what he thought was a threat.
Damond was a meditation teacher and life coach who was killed about a month before her wedding. Her maiden name was Justine Ruszczyk, and though she was not yet married, she had already been using her fiance’s last name.
Her fiance, Don Damond, declined to comment on Noor’s pending release, but said during Noor’s resentencing that he had forgiven the former officer, and that he had no doubt Justine also would have forgiven him “for your inability in managing your emotions that night.”
Noor, who is Somali American, was believed to be the first Minnesota officer convicted of murder for an on-duty shooting. Activists who had long called for officers to be held accountable for the deadly use of force applauded the murder conviction but lamented that it came in a case in which the officer is Black and his victim was white.
Since Noor’s conviction, former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of murder in the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, a Black man who was pinned to the pavement under Chauvin’s knee. Chauvin’s colleague, Thomas Lane, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter, while two other officers are awaiting trial on charges of aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter. All four have been convicted on federal charges of violating Floyd’s rights.
In another case, former Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter was convicted of manslaughter after she said she mistook her Taser for her handgun when she fatally shot Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black motorist, during a traffic stop last year.
John Ruszczyk said in his email to the AP that his family believes state investigators and the Minneapolis Police Department did not fully cooperate with the investigation into his daughter’s killing and he was disturbed by the agency’s culture, adding that he believed its acceptance of using violence to control challenging situations contributed to Justine’s death.
“How could officers go out onto the streets in the roles of defenders of public safety and order with the attitude to their duties and obligations that allows them to shoot first and ask questions later?” he wrote.
Days after Noor’s conviction, Minneapolis agreed to pay $20 million to Damond’s family, believed at the time to be the largest settlement stemming from police violence in Minnesota. It was surpassed earlier this year when Minneapolis agreed to a $27 million settlement in Floyd’s death just as Chauvin was going on trial.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Amy Forliti
Publishing date:Jun 24, 2022 • 15 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
MINNEAPOLIS — The former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman who called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home is scheduled to be released from prison next week, months after his murder conviction was overturned and he was resentenced on a lesser charge.
Mohamed Noor, 36, is scheduled to be released from custody Monday, according to online Department of Corrections records.
Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old dual U.S.-Australian citizen and yoga teacher who was engaged to be married. But last year, the Minnesota Supreme Court tossed out his murder conviction and 12 1/2-year sentence, saying the murder charge didn’t apply to the circumstances of this case.
He was resentenced to four years and nine months on the manslaughter charge.
In Minnesota, it’s presumed that a defendant with good behavior will serve two-thirds of a sentence in prison and the rest on supervised release, commonly known as parole. The DOC’s website says Noor will be on supervised release until Jan. 24, 2024.
Damond’s father, John Ruszczyk, said Friday that the family was disappointed that Noor’s third-degree murder conviction was overturned.
“His release after a trivial sentence shows great disrespect to the wishes of the jury who represented the communities of Minneapolis and their wish to make a statement about the communities’ expectations of police behaviour and actions,” Ruszczyk wrote in response to emailed questions from The Associated Press.
After his conviction, Noor began serving his time at Minnesota’s maximum-security prison in Oak Park Heights, but the Star Tribune reported he was transferred to a facility in North Dakota in July 2019 for his own safety. Department of Corrections spokesman Nicholas Kimball said Noor is still out of state, but did not specify where.
“For safety reasons, we aren’t able to provide more detail than what is available on the public website, which is the scheduled date of release,” Kimball said.
It wasn’t clear whether Noor would return to Minnesota. His attorney, Tom Plunkett, declined to comment, saying, “at this point I just want to respect Mr. Noor’s privacy.”
Damond’s killing angered citizens in the U.S. and Australia, and led to the resignation of Minneapolis’ police chief. It also led the department to change its policy on body cameras; Noor and his partner didn’t have theirs activated when they were investigating Damond’s 911 call.
Noor testified at his 2019 trial that he and his partner were driving slowly in an alley when a loud bang on their police SUV made him fear for their lives. He said he saw a woman appear at the partner’s driver’s side window and raise her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat to stop what he thought was a threat.
Damond was a meditation teacher and life coach who was killed about a month before her wedding. Her maiden name was Justine Ruszczyk, and though she was not yet married, she had already been using her fiance’s last name.
Her fiance, Don Damond, declined to comment on Noor’s pending release, but said during Noor’s resentencing that he had forgiven the former officer, and that he had no doubt Justine also would have forgiven him “for your inability in managing your emotions that night.”
Noor, who is Somali American, was believed to be the first Minnesota officer convicted of murder for an on-duty shooting. Activists who had long called for officers to be held accountable for the deadly use of force applauded the murder conviction but lamented that it came in a case in which the officer is Black and his victim was white.
Since Noor’s conviction, former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of murder in the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, a Black man who was pinned to the pavement under Chauvin’s knee. Chauvin’s colleague, Thomas Lane, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter, while two other officers are awaiting trial on charges of aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter. All four have been convicted on federal charges of violating Floyd’s rights.
In another case, former Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter was convicted of manslaughter after she said she mistook her Taser for her handgun when she fatally shot Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black motorist, during a traffic stop last year.
John Ruszczyk said in his email to the AP that his family believes state investigators and the Minneapolis Police Department did not fully cooperate with the investigation into his daughter’s killing and he was disturbed by the agency’s culture, adding that he believed its acceptance of using violence to control challenging situations contributed to Justine’s death.
“How could officers go out onto the streets in the roles of defenders of public safety and order with the attitude to their duties and obligations that allows them to shoot first and ask questions later?” he wrote.
Days after Noor’s conviction, Minneapolis agreed to pay $20 million to Damond’s family, believed at the time to be the largest settlement stemming from police violence in Minnesota. It was surpassed earlier this year when Minneapolis agreed to a $27 million settlement in Floyd’s death just as Chauvin was going on trial.
Ex-Minneapolis cop who killed 911 caller to be released from prison
MINNEAPOLIS — The former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman who called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind…
Ex-Minneapolis officer who killed 911 caller leaves prison after murder conviction overturned
Noor testified in 2019 that a woman appeared at the driver's side window and raised her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat to stop what he thought was a threat.
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Steve Karnowski And Amy Forliti
Publishing date:Jun 27, 2022 • 16 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
MINNEAPOLIS — A former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman who called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home was released from prison on parole Monday, months after his murder conviction was overturned and he was resentenced on a lesser charge.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections website said Mohamed Noor, 36, was placed under the supervision of Hennepin County Community Corrections. He was freed 18 days shy of the fifth anniversary of the July 15, 2017, fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old dual U.S.-Australian citizen and yoga teacher who was engaged to be married.
Corrections Department spokesman Nicholas Kimball confirmed that Noor was released Monday morning. He said he couldn’t confirm where Noor will be living, but that released offenders are generally supervised by the county where they live.
Noor’s attorney, Thomas Plunkett, did not immediately return a call seeking comment. On Friday he said he wanted to respect Noor’s privacy.
Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter, but last year the Minnesota Supreme Court tossed out his murder conviction and 12 1/2-year sentence, saying that charge didn’t apply to the case. He was resentenced to four years and nine months on the manslaughter charge.
In Minnesota, it’s presumed that a defendant with good behaviour will serve two-thirds of a sentence in prison and the rest on parole. Noor will be on supervised release until Jan. 24, 2024.
Damond’s stepmother, Maryan Heffernan, said in a phone interview Friday that the timing of Noor’s release — so close to the anniversary of Damond’s death — was painful.
“We’re very disappointed. But we’re not surprised. We’ve been watching events in Minneapolis from miles away and we’re still bewildered about the charge being dropped and we’re still bewildered about the culture of the Minneapolis Police Department,” Heffernan said.
Noor testified in 2019 that he and his partner were driving slowly in an alley when a loud bang on their police SUV made him fear for their lives. He said a woman appeared at the partner’s driver’s side window and raised her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat to stop what he thought was a threat.
Noor, who is Somali American, was believed to be the first Minnesota officer convicted of murder for an on-duty shooting. Since Noor’s conviction, former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of murder in the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, a Black man who was pinned to the pavement under Chauvin’s knee. After Noor’s conviction, Minneapolis agreed to pay $20 million to Damond’s family.
![CP13598555-scaled[1].jpg](https://forums.canadiancontent.net/data/attachments/12/12664-63af0d938721a102085251944e78e314.jpg "CP13598555-scaled[1].jpg")
torontosun.com
Noor testified in 2019 that a woman appeared at the driver's side window and raised her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat to stop what he thought was a threat.
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Steve Karnowski And Amy Forliti
Publishing date:Jun 27, 2022 • 16 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
MINNEAPOLIS — A former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman who called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home was released from prison on parole Monday, months after his murder conviction was overturned and he was resentenced on a lesser charge.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections website said Mohamed Noor, 36, was placed under the supervision of Hennepin County Community Corrections. He was freed 18 days shy of the fifth anniversary of the July 15, 2017, fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old dual U.S.-Australian citizen and yoga teacher who was engaged to be married.
Corrections Department spokesman Nicholas Kimball confirmed that Noor was released Monday morning. He said he couldn’t confirm where Noor will be living, but that released offenders are generally supervised by the county where they live.
Noor’s attorney, Thomas Plunkett, did not immediately return a call seeking comment. On Friday he said he wanted to respect Noor’s privacy.
Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter, but last year the Minnesota Supreme Court tossed out his murder conviction and 12 1/2-year sentence, saying that charge didn’t apply to the case. He was resentenced to four years and nine months on the manslaughter charge.
In Minnesota, it’s presumed that a defendant with good behaviour will serve two-thirds of a sentence in prison and the rest on parole. Noor will be on supervised release until Jan. 24, 2024.
Damond’s stepmother, Maryan Heffernan, said in a phone interview Friday that the timing of Noor’s release — so close to the anniversary of Damond’s death — was painful.
“We’re very disappointed. But we’re not surprised. We’ve been watching events in Minneapolis from miles away and we’re still bewildered about the charge being dropped and we’re still bewildered about the culture of the Minneapolis Police Department,” Heffernan said.
Noor testified in 2019 that he and his partner were driving slowly in an alley when a loud bang on their police SUV made him fear for their lives. He said a woman appeared at the partner’s driver’s side window and raised her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat to stop what he thought was a threat.
Noor, who is Somali American, was believed to be the first Minnesota officer convicted of murder for an on-duty shooting. Since Noor’s conviction, former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of murder in the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, a Black man who was pinned to the pavement under Chauvin’s knee. After Noor’s conviction, Minneapolis agreed to pay $20 million to Damond’s family.
Ex-Minneapolis officer who killed 911 caller leaves prison after murder conviction overturned
Noor testified in 2019 that a woman appeared at the driver's side window and raised her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat to stop what…