Minnesota Officer Who Shot and Killed Bride-to-Be Declined to Be Interviewed, Investigators Say

Alexia Fernandez
Updated

Officer Mohamed Noor declined to be interviewed by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) during their investigation into the shooting death of Justine Damond.

In a press release on Tuesday, the BCA said Noor’s attorney would not say when or if he would agree to an interview.

According to the release, the BCA cannot compel an officer to testify for its investigation.

Officer Matthew Harrity, who has been an officer with the Minneapolis Police Department for a year, was interviewed early Tuesday by the BCA.

Harrity told investigators he and his partner were “startled by a loud sound” near their squad car as they responded to a 911 call made by Damond about a possible assault hear her home.

After hearing the sound, Harrity said he saw Damond approach the driver’s side window of the squad car. Harrity told BCA investigators that Noor “discharged his weapon, striking [Damond] through the open driver’s side window.”

Mohamed Noor
Mohamed Noor

After Noor shot Damond, the two officers “immediately exited the squad car and provided medical attention until medical personnel arrived.”

Before the shooting occurred, Harrity told investigators he and Noor witnessed a while male between the ages of 18 and 25 bicycling east of West 51st Street, where Damond died.

The BCA stated in the release they were interested in interviewing the male witness and any others who witnessed the shooting.

Further details indicate that body cameras were not turned on until after Damond was shot.

Noor has two active complaints in his police file and is reportedly facing a lawsuit from a woman who claims she was falsely imprisoned and assaulted, PEOPLE confirmed Tuesday.

Noor, who joined the Minneapolis police force in 2015, has had three complaints filed against him with the city’s Office of Police Conduct Review, an office spokesperson says.

Two of the complaints remain open, according to the spokesperson. The third was “closed without discipline.”

Noor, along with his partner, has been placed on paid administrative leave since the Saturday shooting, pending an investigation.

Noor’s attorney said in a statement that his client “empathizes with the loss others are experiencing,” and he promised more information in the future.