County Attorney Freeman announces Damond Ruszczyk investigation continuing into 2018

The investigation into the fatal shooting of Justine Damond Ruszczyk by Minneapolis Police Officer Mohamed Noor will not be completed by Dec. 31, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced today.

“A dedicated team in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has been working diligently since we received the case in mid-September,” Freeman said. “Our goal was to complete the review and make a decision on whether or not to bring charges by the end of the year. We are getting more information and evidence and additional investigation must be completed. As I have mentioned before, the investigation and review of the case will not be rushed. It is more important to get it right than to get it done quickly.”

County Attorney Freeman also spoke with Justine Damond Ruszczyk’s family by phone today. He expressed the deepest sympathies from himself and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and explained why there would be no decision by Dec. 31. He also informed them that there is no timetable for when the decision will be made.

The office will have no further comments while the case is under investigation.