MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Latest on the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot a woman who had called 911 to report a possible crime (all times local):
4:35 p.m.
The defense has rested in the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed an unarmed woman who approached his squad car.
Closing arguments are expected Monday. Friday’s testimony wrapped up the fourth week at the trial of Mohamed Noor. He’s charged with murder and manslaughter in the July 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia who had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault behind her house.
Testimony isn’t finished. Prosecutors may call at least one more rebuttal witness Monday. But Judge Kathryn Quaintance told jurors they should expect to begin deliberations Monday. And she said they would be sequestered once deliberations start.
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3:40 p.m.
A woman who lives near the alley from where a Minneapolis police officer shot and killed an unarmed woman who approached his squad car is testifying about a loud noise she says she heard that night.
Mohamed Noor is on trial on murder and manslaughter charges in the 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. The 40-year-old dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia had called 911 moments before her death to report a possible sexual assault near her home.
Michelle LeBlanc lives across the alley from the driveway where Damond died. She testified Friday that she was lying in bed and heard “boom, boom, boom.” She said the first sound was loud, like a garbage can crashing.
Noor has testified that he heard a loud bang on his squad car that made him fear an ambush right before he shot Damond.
Prosecutor Patrick Lofton raised questions about what he said were discrepancies in statements LeBlanc gave about what she heard.
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12:50 p.m.
A defense expert says a former Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed an unarmed woman who approached his squad car used reasonable force.
Mohamed Noor is on trial on murder and manslaughter charges in the 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. The 40-year-old dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia had called 911 moments before her death to report a possible sexual assault near her home.
Noor testified that he heard a loud bang on the car, making him fear an ambush, then saw a woman at his partner’s window raising her arm.
Emanuel Kapelsohn is an expert on use of force hired by the defense. He testified Friday that Noor “had to react immediately.”
Two use-of-force experts testified for the prosecution earlier that they believe Noor acted unreasonably.
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10:55 a.m.
A prosecutor is attacking a former Minneapolis police officer for his decision to fire at an unarmed woman who approached his squad car.
Mohamed Noor is on trial for murder and manslaughter in the July 2017 shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. The dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia had called 911 minutes earlier to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home. Noor has said a loud bang on the squad car led him to fear an ambush.
Prosecutor Am Sweasy grilled Noor on Friday, suggesting there was “no basis” for him to fire at Damond when he hadn’t seen her hands and didn’t know whether she had a weapon.
Noor said he “respectfully disagreed” with the prosecutor. When his own attorney asked Noor what would have happened if someone approaching the car had had a weapon, he answered that his partner would have been killed.
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Midnight:
A former Minneapolis police officer on trial in the fatal shooting of an unarmed woman will be back on the stand Friday.
Mohamed Noor hadn’t spoken publicly about the July 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond before taking the stand Thursday.
Damond, a dual U.S.-Australia citizen, had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault behind her home. She was shot minutes later when she approached Noor’s squad car.
Noor testified Thursday that he and his partner were startled by a loud bang on their car. He said he saw a woman in a pink shirt with blond hair at his partner’s window, raising her right arm, and fired his gun “to stop the threat.”
He said his “world came crashing down” when he realized he’d shot an innocent woman.
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Check out the AP’s complete coverage of Mohamed Noor’s trial
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