Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor has been re-sentenced to 57 months, minus time served, in the 2017 shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. That is the maximum he could have been resentenced with.
During the re-sentencing hearing, Don Damond, Justine's fiancé, appeared via Zoom and said he forgave Noor and added that he was sure Justine would have too. In response, Noor gave a statement thanking Damond.
"I'm deeply grateful for Mr. Damond's forgiveness. I'm deeply sorry for the pain I caused that family and I will take his advice and be a unifier. Thank you."
In 2019, Noor was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison. In September, the Minnesota Supreme Court reversed the third-degree murder conviction, meaning Noor will be re-sentenced on the second-degree manslaughter charge.
Joe Friedberg, a Twin Cities defense attorney not associated with the case, said the ruling was the right move.
"Everybody in this state that practices in the field of criminal law has understood from day one, that third-degree murder could not possible have applied to what it was that Mohamed Noor did."
Hennepin County District Court Judge Kathryn Quaintance will decide the length of the new sentence.
The second degree manslaughter carries a sentence of anywhere from 41 to 57 months. With time already served, Noor could be released from prison in a matter of months.