Who is Don Damond? Fiance of Justine Ruszczyk who had a similar fate to George Floyd's cries after Chauvin verdict
The verdict against Derek Chauvin brought relief to millions of African Americans and it also brought relief to one White American, who faced a similar situation in 2019. Don Damond was aware of the challenges George Floyd's family faced, having walked in their steps, literally, years ago.
Don's fiancee Justine was shot and killed by Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor in July 2017. In April 2019, Noor had the notorious distinction of being the first Minnesota police officer convicted of murder while on duty. He was convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter, and sentenced to 12.5 years in prison.
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Following the Chauvin verdict, Don opened up about that infamous trial and the shocking death of his beloved to-be-wife. He told Australian outlet 7 News, "I found myself shaking with emotion." Here's everything we know about Don and how he feels connected to the Floyd family.
Who is Don Damond?
A Minnesota native, Don Miller Damond is originally from Burnsville. According to his LinkedIn profile, Don studied at the University of Minnesota but did not list what course or when he graduated. Between 1985 and 2008, he was an electric bass player. In 2001, he shifted his focus away from music to take up a role at the Mystic Lake Casino just outside Minneapolis. He spent 11 years as the Director of Operations. In February 2013, he then moved to Little Six Casino as Vice President. He is still listed in that role.
Don met Justine at a workshop in 2012 hosted by neuroscientist Dr. Joe Dispenza in Colorado. Eventually, in 2015, she moved to the US to be with Don in Minneapolis. He also had a son, Zach, from a previous marriage. According to reports, Zach was the reason the couple decided to remain in the US, rather than move to Australia. 9 News reported, "In Don’s words, Justine “had so much compassion for Zach” that she offered to move to Minneapolis. The Sydneysider packed her bags, said her goodbyes to family and friends, and moved."
Don and Justine were set to be married on August 17, 2017. Unfortunately, the couple never got to celebrate the day. On July 15, the 40-year-old was shot in the abdomen, with Noor's partner claiming "we both got spooked". As a result of the shooting, Don sold his Washburn Avenue house in 2018 and moved just two miles away. Since then, he has become an advocate for police reform.
Reaction to Chauvin verdict
The emotional trial of Noor was very similar to that of Chauvin. Despite claims of racial bias in the conviction, it stood. Noor was convicted bringing justice to Don, Zach, and the entire family. When George Floyd was killed, Don could only sense history repeating itself. He told 7 News, "We’re in a small club; a small, exclusive, unfortunate club." Don and Floyd's families are amongst the handful that has managed to obtain justice from US courts. Despite hundreds of Americans being killed by cops every year, almost all of them end with a 'not guilty' verdict.
However, that doesn't mean justice has been delivered. Justine's father John Ruszczyk was quick to note that there was more work to be done. In June 2020, he told KSTP, "We were satisfied that Justine's killer was found guilty, but we remained concerned that the police force, as an institution was deeply flawed." He added, "the fact that another person has died at the hands of the Minneapolis police using excessive force shows that they have not made adequate changes to their practices and training as we had been told they would after Justine's murder."
Don too had strong words for the police after Floyd's death. "Other than body camera policy, can you point to what has changed? Can you point to anything that has changed? I can’t," he told Fox 9. In another interview, he said, "There really are two issues converging here, and one is the Minneapolis police and their culture and their use of force, and then there's systemic race and how they abuse that use of force against African American people in that city."
John and Don seem to be right. Despite the historic verdict, police have shot and killed Daunte Wright and Ma'Khia Bryant in the same week. Others too have faced police violence, despite being unarmed or showing no signs of aggression.