Australian killed in US: she called police to report assault, but cop shot her dead from his patrol car
Justine Damond was reportedly shot through the door of police car, as she stood outside in her pyjamas
Relatives and neighbours of an Australian woman fatally shot by Minneapolis police over the weekend demanded answers Monday about the mysterious shooting in which the meditation teacher was reportedly killed by an officer who fired from the passenger seat of a squad car as the woman stood outside the driver’s door.
Authorities released no details about what led to the shooting of Justine Damond, whose fiancé said she had called the police to report what she believed was a sexual assault in an alley near her home.
Police said officers were responding to a call about a possible assault late Saturday when she was killed. There were no known witnesses other than the two officers in the squad car that showed up. A newspaper report said Damond was shot while standing alongside the car in her pyjamas.
“We’ve lost the dearest of people, and we’re desperate for information,” he said. “Piecing together Justine’s last moments before the homicide would be a small comfort as we grieve this tragedy.”
Damond’s family members in Australia also released a statement Monday through Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, saying they “are trying to come to terms with this tragedy and to understand why this has happened.”