Mohamed Noor, the Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman Saturday night, has been identified as his precinct’s first Somali-American officer, as CNN reports.
The shooting victim, Justine Ruszczyk, called 911 to report a possible sexual assault near her home.
According to investigators, Noor’s police partner Officer Matthew Harrity was driving the squad vehicle when he was startled by a loud noise as they searched for the subject. Ruszczyk then appeared at the driver’s side window.
Noor fired his weapon through the driver’s side window, which fatally wounded Ruszczyk, an Australian yoga teacher.
The aftermath of the shooting contrasts some other high-profile officer-involved killings.
Unlike the killing of Michael Brown — where Officer Darren Wilson’s name wasn’t released until nearly week-long protests demanded his identity — or the killing of Freddie Grey — where the names of the six officers involved were revealed after over a week — Noor was identified in a swift three days.
Further, private civilians and police officers that typically support cops in shooting cases have been relatively silent compared to past cases.
A source speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail states that Noor feels that he has been “‘thrown under the bus’ by his Minneapolis police colleagues.” The friend continues, “[Noor] is aware that [officers] normally come together at times like this and support each other with slogans like ‘Blue Lives Matter. But in this situation he has realized he is probably alone with his legal team and Somali police colleagues.”
There have also yet to be fundraisers spearheaded by good Samaritans to assist the officer’s potential legal bills.
Wilson was afforded $1 million worth of support from crowdsourced funding. Ray Tensing, the Cincinnati officer caught on camera shooting the unarmed Sam DuBose in the head after a routine traffic stop, was offered money from all across the country to pay his bond.
If the state’s investigation shows Noor acted criminally, he should face punishment. Officers involved in shooting deaths should never be armed with the blue shield of protection in our criminal justice system, which purports to blindly pursue justice.
But the events that have unfolded in this tragic death have many questioning exactly who the blue shield chooses to protect.
