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During Resentencing Of Mohamed Noor, Judge Asks: What Changes Have Been Made To Minneapolis Police?

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Before Judge Kathryn Quaintance resentenced former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor Thursday morning, she referred to a number of questions first asked by jurors at his trial in 2019. Among them was: What would change to prevent a 911 caller like Justine Ruszczyk Damond from being fatally shot by an officer?

"Will there be changes?," the judge asked again Thursday. "Will some of these supervising officers be fired or disciplined?"

On Thursday, Noor was resentenced to 57 months in prison in connection to the 2017 shooting of Ruszczyk, a 40-year-old dual U.S.-Australian citizen and yoga teacher. She had called 911 to report a possible assault in the alley behind her south Minneapolis home. Officer Noor and his partner, Matthew Harrity, responded.

At his 2019 trial, Noor testified that he was startled in the alley by a loud bang outside his squad car. He shot Ruszczyk as she approached the car. Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter and given an 12 and-a-half year sentence.

A month ago, however, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the third-degree murder conviction didn't fit the evidence, as Noor couldn't have shown "generalized indifference to human life" when shooting a single person. The court ordered that Noor be sentenced again on the manslaughter charge, which was not struck down.

But what's changed for Minneapolis police?

Judge Kathryn Quaintance
(credit: CBS)

"Part of it, really, has nothing to do with Mohamed Noor," said Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "It's a system that he's been part of, a system that trained him, a system that condoned and accepted that behavior."

Harrity, Noor's former partner, is no longer with the Minneapolis Police Department.

One thing that hasn't changed is tension between the community and police. In fact, tensions are likely higher in the wake of the murder of George Floyd last summer. On the ballot next month, Minneapolis voters will be asked whether they want to replace the police department with a Department of Public Safety.

Yet, there have been some recent reforms, including a ban on choke holds and an end to most no-knock warrants. Additionally, the department's use of force policy has been overhauled, and there's renewed focus on finding officer recruits who live in Minneapolis.

Since Ruszczyk died, a memorial bench and a community wishing tree have gone up just a few blocks from where she was killed.

Reflecting the judge's questions, the owner of a home yoga studio who knew and worked with Ruszczyk said she thinks things have only gotten worse with policing in Minneapolis. She said she hopes voters will opt to defund the police department and start over.

WCCO-TV reached out to the Minneapolis Police Department to get a response to the judge's questions. A spokesperson said that they are working on providing those answers.

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