American police officer Mohamed Noor who fatally shot Australian life coach Justine Ruszczyk Damond has been found guilty on two charges and cleared of another, News.com.au reports.
Noor, who responded to Ms Damond’s 911 call about an alleged sexual assault, shot and killed the unarmed 40-year-old when she approached his car in an alley behind her south Minneapolis home on July 15, 2017.
Noor, 33, has been found guilty of third degree murder – intentionally causing bodily harm but not necessarily death – and second degree manslaughter.
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The police officer was cleared of the most serious charge of second degree murder – intentionally killing a person with malice.
Noor faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.
Ms Damond, a Sydney woman living in the US, called police to alert them to a woman’s scream she heard behind her house.
Dressed in pyjamas and walking barefoot, she walked towards the police vehicle but was shot in the abdomen at point blank range.
Noor claims he fired after hearing a loud bang on his squad car and believed Ms Damond was part of a planned ambush.
Noor’s patrol partner Matthew Harrity testified that Ms Damond had “startled” them.
Ms Damond had planned to marry her fiancé Don Damond a matter of weeks after her untimely death.
Mr Damond and his sister-in-law embraced in the court room when the jury declared their verdict.