The Mpls. chief of police who got fired/resigned or whatever it was just got $183K of tax payer money plus a years medical and dental as a severance parachute. Nice gig if you can get it.

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/...d-invsetigation-bca/

The shooting death of Justine Damond is now in the hands of the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced that it had completed its investigation into the shooting and had forwarded the case to the county attorney’s office for possible charges.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman will decide if charges are to be filed against Noor. His office made no comment on the case Tuesday.

Officer Mathew Harrity told investigators that Noor suddenly shot Damond moments after there was a loud sound outside the car.

WCCO-TV has learned that that loud sound was Damond banging on the police SUV to get the officers’ attention.

Harrity returned to police duty last week. Noor remains on paid administrative leave.

So his defense, in a nutshell, is "I heard a loud noise that could have been a gunshot somewhere, therefore I shot the next person I saw, as a potentially deadly threat to my and/or my partner's safety"? Whisky Tango Foxtrot Over....

Jacob Frey won election as mayor of Minneapolis

The incumbent Betsy Hodges was defeated.

Given the list of candidates, Frey seems like one of the better choices

2017 mayor candidate list looks scary

Democratic-Farmer-Labor:

Raymond Dehn, State Representative
Al Flowers, community activist
Jacob Frey, City Council Member
Tom Hoch, former President of the Hennepin Theatre Trust
Betsy Hodges, incumbent Mayor
Nekima Levy-Pounds, civil rights activist, former President of the Minneapolis NAACP
Jeffrey Sterling Olson
Aswar Rahman, filmmaker
Captain Jack Sparrow, perennial candidate

Republican Party of Minnesota:

Jonathan Honerbrink, community activist

Socialist Workers Party:

David Rosenfeld

"There are no new witnesses or new evidence; only two people know firsthand what happened, and only one of them has spoken to investigators.

And yet, months after he received the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s investigation into the July 15 shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond by a Minneapolis police officer, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman has not made a decision on whether that officer, Mohamed Noor, will face criminal charges.

Freeman continues to insist that he will make a decision before the end of the year, and Minneapolis’ new chief of police said he’s bracing for backlash no matter what Freeman decides…"

http://m.startribune.com/polic...s-decided/463073423/

I’m sure some degree of judgement goes into these decisions, but isn’t there some checklist of criteria that would make it pretty clear?

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
"There are no new witnesses or new evidence; only two people know firsthand what happened, and only one of them has spoken to investigators.

And yet, months after he received the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s investigation into the July 15 shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond by a Minneapolis police officer, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman has not made a decision on whether that officer, Mohamed Noor, will face criminal charges.

Freeman continues to insist that he will make a decision before the end of the year, and Minneapolis’ new chief of police said he’s bracing for backlash no matter what Freeman decides…"

http://m.startribune.com/polic...s-decided/463073423/

Translation: The DA is waiting for a major snowstorm probably coupled some devastating world news event.

what a strange statement by Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman

http://www.startribune.com/fre...-shooting/464211313/

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Wednesday that he does not yet have the evidence to file charges against a Minneapolis police officer in the shooting death of Justine Damond, blaming a lack of evidence and investigators in the case that “haven’t done their job.”

Freeman made the candid comments during a union event after being confronted by activists, who recorded the interaction. They asked Freeman why it has taken so long for him to announce a charging decision on whether officer Mohamed Noor was justified in shooting and killing Damond on July 15.

“Fair question. I’ve got to have the evidence, and I don’t have it yet,” Freeman responded. “Let me just say it’s not my fault. So if it isn’t my fault, who didn’t do their job? Investigators. They don’t work for me. They haven’t done their job.”

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which investigated the shooting turned over the case to Freeman for charging consideration on Sept. 12.

Freeman has said repeatedly he would make a decision on whether to charge Noor by the end of the year. But during a news conference on Tuesday he softened that stance, saying it was now “the goal” to make a decision by the end of the year

Freeman:

“I have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, the moment he shot the gun he feared for his life, and he used force because he thought he was gonna be killed. But he won’t answer my questions … I can’t talk to her because she’s gone, and the other cop just gave us shit. So guess what, I’ve gotta figure out angles of the shot, gun residues, reckless use of force experts …”

Freeman told the group that before he charges anyone he has to have “sufficient admissible evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.”

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:

Freeman:

“I have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, the moment he shot the gun he feared for his life, and he used force because he thought he was gonna be killed. But he won’t answer my questions … I can’t talk to her because she’s gone, and the other cop just gave us shit. So guess what, I’ve gotta figure out angles of the shot, gun residues, reckless use of force experts …”

Freeman told the group that before he charges anyone he has to have “sufficient admissible evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Uhhh...is this guy a defense attorney

If you or I...

Very unprofessional for that defense attorney, uh, I mean prosecutor, to make those remarks about the case. Clearly another incompetent boob in a job too big for his britches.

Yes, sdy, that was a damned strange statement. They're juggling the hot potato. Everybody wants to pass it off to the next guy.

The prosecutor has had the completed investigation for 90 days. It doesn't appear he's directed any more investigation or collected any more evidence. Want to bet he's planned a "insufficient evidence" conclusion.

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:

Freeman:

“I have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, the moment he shot the gun he feared for his life, and he used force because he thought he was gonna be killed. But he won’t answer my questions … I can’t talk to her because she’s gone, and the other cop just gave us shit. So guess what, I’ve gotta figure out angles of the shot, gun residues, reckless use of force experts …”

Freeman told the group that before he charges anyone he has to have “sufficient admissible evidence beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Uhhh...is this guy a defense attorney

In a word yes. He is the "defense attorney" for the mayor and the system who put this guy on the street in the first place. It was all about having a first Somali police officer, regardless if he was incompetent. Things will get really interesting when the attorney for the family files suit and gets all his training records (if they haven't been misplaced or destroyed in a fire ).

Nah they are adding the proper notations as we speak to his training file. Somali killer is ex Delta, SWAT team captain, and 1st in his class at the FBI leadership academy.

Prosecutor who criticized investigators in Justine Damond case apologizes

https://www.policeone.com/inve...ond-case-apologizes/

A Minnesota prosecutor who publicly criticized agents investigating the death of an Australian woman fatally shot by a police officer said Monday that he is sorry and was wrong to discuss the agency's work in a public setting.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman issued both written and videotaped statements Monday apologizing to the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating the July shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. He said he didn't know he was being recorded when he spoke critically of investigators, but "nonetheless, my comments, under any circumstances, were ill advised and I am sorry."

While he apologized in his statement Monday for speaking publicly about the case, Freeman did not say whether he stood by the comment that investigators were not doing their jobs or whether it was inaccurate.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/u...e-made-until-n833306

A decision on whether charges should be brought in the deadly shooting of an Australian woman at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer will not come before the end of the year, a county attorney announced Thursday.

“Our goal was to complete the review and make a decision on whether or not to bring charges by the end of the year,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said in a statement. “We are getting more information and evidence and additional investigation must be completed.”

“As I have mentioned before, the investigation and review of the case will not be rushed,” he added. “It is more important to get it right than to get it done quickly.”

Freeman also spoke with Damond's family by phone on Thursday, according to the statement, and explained why there would be no decision by Dec. 31.

A statement from Damon's family and from her fiancé, Don Damond, said they supported the decision.

"We support Mr. Freeman's decision to take additional time to ensure the investigation is rigorous and complete," the statement read. "We want justice and appreciate the support from all those who want the same. We ask for the public's patience to allow the investigation to continue."

Grand Jury will get case

http://www.startribune.com/fre...-shooting/470932303/

Sending political "Hot Potato" cases to the Grand Jury is common. I have testified before Grand Juries. Thing is, only witnesses called by the prosecution, are going to be heard. The vast majority of the time the case is going to be "True Billed" and the suspect charged. With the political situation in Minneapolis though,and a prosecutor making statements similar to those a defense attorney might make, I don't know. The Prosecutor can arrange for witnesses to provide testimony that might cause the Grand Jury to "No True Bill" the case. He could then use this turn down by the Grand Jury for political cover when he tells the public he will not prosecute the case.

I'll share that in 30+ years full time as an officer, I sometimes had people suddenly, unexpectedly, approach out of the darkness. This sometimes startled me. I did not feel the need to shoot any of them.......

I was after a burglar one night when someone reached out of a shadow and grabbed my arm. I spun and punched him in the face with what I happened to holding in my right hand.
An S&W Model 13.
It was a fellow cop who thought it would be funny to scare me.
At roll call the next night, he had the perfect imprint of the barrel and front sight of the Smith on his face just under his eye.
This little episode just thrilled the command staff, all the way up.
But I did not shoot him.