Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor released from prison
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was released from prison on Monday morning after serving just over three years for the death of 911 caller Justine Damond Ruszczyk.
Noor shot and killed Justine Ruszczyk Damond in July 2017 after she had called police to report a possible sexual assault behind her home. When Damond approached the squad in the alleyway near her home, Noor shot across his partner, killing the 40-year-old Australian woman. During his trial, Noor said he had feared an ambush.
He was initially convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Damond’s death and sentenced to over 12 years in prison.
However, Noor's attorneys challenged the third-degree murder statute, saying it didn't fit the crime. Under the law, third-degree murder happens when someone, without intent, "causes the death of another by perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life."
The court ruled that because Noor's conduct was intentional, it did not fit the standards for "depraved mind" and the third-degree murder statute.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections website was updated before 9 a.m. Monday to say Noor is under supervision with the Hennepin Department of Community Corrections.
Mohamed Noor resentenced: Release date, what was said in court
Following the Minnesota Supreme Court reversing Mohamed Noor's third-degree murder conviction in the death of Justine Damond, he was resentenced Thursday to 57 months in prison for second-degree manslaughter. The 57 months is the top end of the sentencing guidelines per Minnesota law. With time served, Noor will be eligible for supervised release on June 27, 2022.