Former Minneapolis Police Officer Mohamed Noor sits in the pickup truck of his attorney, Thomas Plunkett, after posting bond and leaving the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility in Minneapolis on Wednesday, March 21, 2018. The police officer who was with Noor, charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of an unarmed Australian woman, said both men "got spooked" when she approached their SUV, and that the partner feared for his life. But prosecutors say Noor acted recklessly and was not justified in using deadly force when he shot Justine Ruszczyk Damond last July after she called to report a possible sexual assault behind her home. (Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP)
Republished March 22, 2018 - 9:34 AM
Original Publication Date March 22, 2018 - 12:56 AM
MINNEAPOLIS - A fired Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Australian woman is free on bail.
Mohamed Noor and his attorney, Thomas Plunkett, walked out of the Hennepin County Jail around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday after posting $400,000 bail following his first court appearance earlier in the day. They said nothing to journalists waiting outside.
Noor was charged Tuesday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. He shot her last July while responding to the woman's 911 call about a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home.
The conditions of Noor's bail include no contact with his former partner, Matthew Harrity, who was driving the squad car when Noor shot Damond through the driver's window. Noor also had to surrender his passport and cannot possess weapons. He's due back in court May 8.
The Somali-American Police Association defended Noor in a statement Wednesday, saying the charges against him are "baseless and politically motivated, if not racially motivated as well." The group said it believes Noor "acted in good faith and in accordance with his department's policy."
News from © The Associated Press, 2018