Former U.S. police officer pleads not guilty in shooting death of unarmed Australian woman

WASHINGTON, March 3 — A former police officer from Minneapolis, a major city in northern U.S. state of Minnesota, pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges stemming from the 2017 shooting death of an unarmed bride-to-be Australian woman.
Mohamed Noor, 33, said in court that he is not guilty of the charges that include second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the July 15, 2017, shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old life coach.
Damond had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault behind her home. Noor and his partner, Matthew Harrity, who was driving, responded, and Damond was shot as she approached the officers’ vehicle, according to an NBC news report.
Prosecutors had wanted to use Noor’s refusal to speak to investigators against him. But Judge Kathryn Quaintance ruled for the defense on Friday, citing a defendant’s protection from self-incrimination, said the report.
The trial is set to begin on April 1. Noor was fired after he was charged. – XINHUA