The Minnesota police chief said in a press conference that the police officer who shot and killed Justine Damond,who’d called 911, appeared to have no issues with his training.
Chief Janee Harteau said a review of Officer Mohammed Noor’s training following Saturday’s fatal shooting revealed no underlying problems, and also said Noor’s training officers reported no issues with his performance.
Earlier this week, Noor shot and killed Damond, 40, when she approached his police cruiser as it arrived at her house after she’d called 911.
Noor has refused to speak to investigators about the incident, but his partner told them he’d heard a loud sound just before Damond approached the vehicle.
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While his partner defended Noor’s training, she went on to say that the shooting “did not have to happen,” and that it went against “who we are in the department.”
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Chief Harteau echoed this statement during the press conference, saying that this shooting “should not have happened,” and that Noor’s actions went against how officers are trained.
Harteau also said that Noor and his partner should have activated their body cameras before encountering Damond.
The department is currently examining its policy on cameras, taking into consideration technological advances that turn them on automatically.
Other police shootings around the United States have led to calls for policy changes, including everything from bias training for officers to upgraded body cam technology.
Harteau has not previously commented on Damond’s death, having been out of town on a personal trip until recently. She faced questions about her absence since the shooting but maintains that she remained in close contact with her command staff.
The state of Minnesota is currently investigating the shooting and has said in the past it was reviewing its body cam policy.
— With files from the Associated Press.
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