Somali cop sentenced for fatal shooting of a white woman in Minneapolis
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Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor after recieving his sentencing. Photo: Leila Navidi/Star Tribune/Getty Images
Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison on Friday for fatally shooting a white woman, Justine Ruszczyk Damond, in 2017, AP reports.
Why it matters: The question of race has cast a shadow over the trial since it began. Noor's supporters say the Somali American, who is Muslim, has been treated more harshly than other officers involved in fatal shootings. Others say Damond's death has drawn attention to police brutality in Minneapolis, according to the New York Times.
- Since 2005, only 3 other officers have been convicted of murder, and seen their convictions stand, NBC reports.
- This is the first time an officer in Minnesota has been convicted of a fatal shooting in the line of duty and sentenced, per MPR News.
The big picture: This is not the only high-profile, fatal police shooting that's occurred in Minnesota in recent years. Two other victims were African-American men.
- Philando Castile was shot during a routine traffic stop in 2016, when police thought Castile was reaching for a gun, according to a local Fox affiliate. The officer involved in this case, Jeronimo Yanez, was acquitted.
- Jamar Clark was shot in the head by police while handcuffed, reports the Star Tribune. There was no disciplinary action taken against the 2 officers involved, per the Chicago Tribune.
Context: Damond called 9-11 about someone being on her property, says AP. When scouting the area around Damond's house, Noor was startled by a noise and fatally shot her. He reportedly tried to administer CPR for 4 minutes. The city of Minneapolis paid Damond's family a $20 million settlement, the largest misconduct payment in the city's history, MPR News reports.
Go deeper: The big picture: How police brutality drives cities into debt
