Minneapolis cop who shot woman dead offers to 'honor' her by spending two weeks in jail instead of serving full term
A former Minneapolis police officer has proposed an unusual sentence for himself after he shot dead Australian life coach Justine Ruszczyk Damond. The disgraced cop wants to serve two one-week terms in a prison workhouse to "honor" her birthday and date of death instead of serving a full prison sentence.
A jury convicted 33-year-old Mohamed Noor of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in April this year. He will face a maximum of 12-and-a-half years in prison when he is arraigned before Judge Kathryn Quaintance in Minneapolis on Saturday, according to a Daily Mail report.
However, in a pre-sentence filing to the judge, Noor suggested he could turn himself in to a low-security correctional facility workhouse for a week on the date of Damond's death as well as the date of her birth for the duration of his probation. Also, he has asked for community service instead of jail time.
In their memorandum to the judge, Noor's lawyers Thomas Plunkett and Peter Wold wrote: "This sentence honors the memory of Ms. Rusczcyk and allows Mr. Noor to continue to serve the city. Just as importantly, it mandates that Mr. Noor will continue to consider his action and the great loss they caused."
Noor went a step further and suggested he be sentenced to one year and one day in prison if Judge Quaintance does not agree to his original proposal. The prosecutors, however, are yet to announce their suggested sentence.
On July 15, 2017, 40-year-old Damond called 911 to report a possible rape in an alley behind her Minneapolis home just before midnight. Noor shot her dead moments after the call.
Damond, who hailed from Sydney's northern beaches, was approaching Noor's police vehicle barefoot and dressed in pajama pants and a pink shirt adorned with 'Koala Australia' and a picture of a koala mum and baby. The officer was sitting on the passenger seat next to his partner Officer Matthew Harrity when he shot Damond across the car window and struck her in the stomach.
While testifying in court, Noor and Officer Harrity said they were "startled" by Damond. John Ruszczyk, Damond's father, filed a $US50 million lawsuit against Minneapolis just days after the city agreed to pay $US20 million following the jury's guilty verdict.
In his filing, Noor included around 44 letters from well-wishers and former colleagues who listed his contributions to the community as a police officer.