Justine Ruszczyk Damond
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Slain Australian Woman's Father Demands Justice ... Thanx to Associated Press
This posting will serve as Part 30 of the "Police Brutality" series of this journal/ blog. It will be to look at the most recent murder of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who went by the name of Justine Damond already, she was scheduled to be married to her fiance Don Damond next month. Justine was shot/ murdered by Minneapolis Police Officer Mohamed Noor, which was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner ... with shots fired at close range into Justine's abdomen, while talking to or approaching Officer Noor's partner who was driving at their cruise unit. The unit was cruising slow the alley with lights off, it could be that Noor, who was in passenger seat of unit, just freaked and panicked ... which would at minimal make a case for "involuntary manslaughter". The officers arrived to the call, which was a 911 call from Justine to report a possible assault from what I gathered, she was in the alley by her home in her pajamas when they got there, within 5 minutes of Justine's call to police, she was dead. Justine was a meditation, yoga and motivational type instructor as far as what she done for a career ... she also originally was schooled as a veterinary surgeon, and a positive role model in the community to many. She been here in Minneapolis for a few years, originally from Sydney, Australia. I opened above with video from her dad, John Ruszczyk, which I thought was appropriate to open with. My heart goes out to her dad and familia ... I myself would be heartbroken, but I know after my tears dry the next day, I would be focused and hungry on wanting Officer Noor's ass one way or another. I included some newsread with links from Sydney and Minneapolis and police dispatch audio from Heavy.com. Also ABC News video this morning with Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and her input ... Mayor Hodges not long back was so proud of Officer Noor as you can see here (Betsy Hodges Facebook), Noor being the first Somali immigrant police officer in Minneapolis. Many angry folks feel Officer Noor should at least make a public statement, he also refused to give a statement to investigators ... he dont have to by law, he's exercising his 5th Amendment right. As I was pointing out throughout this series, such as in Part 29 last week, the way we handle these cases will only result in an increase of deaths, and that no one will be exempt from this in time ... as you can see in this case. In 2016 alone ... over 960 people in the U.S. were killed by police (Washington Post | police shooting database 2016). After below, since Mayor Hodges is so confused and asking for answers along with thousands of concerned people ... I will add my part, cut through all the bullshit, explain the problem and how to fix the problem quickly and much more efficiently.
***** News | Heavy.com: Justine Ruszczyk Damond: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know ... (newsread/ video)
Minneapolis mayor reacts to police shooting of bride- to- be ... Thanx to ABC News
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***** PD/ RCJ: "POLICE BRUTALITY" PART'S 29 THRU 1
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Thomas Hudson Pickering/ Ranch Chimp
Although this investigation is only in the preliminary stages and everyone is asking questions and anxious to get answers ... the bottom line is you have an unarmed citizen who called police for help and she was executed 4 minutes after her call by the police that responded to the call. I'm as much in the dark on Justine's case as anyone, but I'm not in the dark as far as what feeds this condition and culture we have. And many of these cases you never get answers in America, but instead, a line of excuses for abuses, from the police leaders and the politicians. One may wonder, why in Hell would I toss politicians into this? It's because they are a key factor in the problem with this country and our cities when it comes to this issue ... and frankly, just about every other issue we have, whether it's healthcare, predatory finance, environmental, drug laws/ policies for legal and illegal drugs, rehab/ prevention/ counseling, unnecessary and mandatory mass incarceration, gentrification, wars ... you name it. I mean, how can we solely blame this on the police, when they are legislated by law to do this ... and forced into non- transparency and secrecy by their unions and political leaders to continue this culture? This makes it bad not only for our citizens, but the vast majority of good cops that are out there and doing a great job. When I myself talk to people one on one here in my town ... and tell them all you have to do is make legislation to change deadly force policies, mandatory changes in training and actually holding those accountable for their criminal actions with punishment ... many people just look surprised, as if they never heard that or thinking it's that simple, but that's exactly how simple it is. I mean ... who wrote these laws and rules, eh? ... it's not like they just miraculously appeared in stone, eh? Instead, these politicians from local on up fiddle faddle around trying to sugar coat things, and try to find wayz to change things without firm solid action ... so you end up with this.
Mayor Hodges looks mystified, she tried to do everything she can pushing for body cameras, new training etc, which is good. But the problem is ... that records show in Minneapolis since body cameras were in use, that you may only have a camera actually turned on by an officer for maybe 5 to 10 hours at most for the entire month, why has she ignored this and supported requirements so soft with too many back doors? ... it's not firm. Politicians talk about being tough on crime, but are not tough on cops, politicians, bankers and corporations that commit crimes. When cops refuse to turn on their cameras, you reprimand them or even terminate them. We went through similar in Baltimore for example with Mayor Catherine Pugh pledging in her campaign to crack down on police abuse of citizens, do this, do that, etc. As Mayor of Baltimore she has went against everything she pledged to do, not just on the police accountability situation, but every promise to improve communities, and even bucked the minimum wage increase that she campaigned on when it came to her desk to sign as mayor. Both Hodges and Pugh are examples of weak leadership on the local level. So the problems in America for citizens as well as police worsen, and you have to protect those good cops that want to change this and speak out about it ... not lecture and threaten them behind closed doors. It is our job as citizens to make sure we have a democracy, instead of what looks more like to me a culture and institution of fear ... there is a severe lack of transparency also, this needs to be forced out. I can only imagine what kind of excuses they will come up for this killing ... they work with their best lawyers behind the scenes on devising something, and to burn as much time as they can on these. I know I'll be following this and several other cases.
I took time to listen to folks at the memorial for Justine, many neighbours, friends and associates, who simply said they dont understand why this happened, but admitted that they know nothing about how the laws work or accountability. These are folks not in some poverty stricken neighbourhood with police on every corner or high crime ... these are middle income folks living in a moderately more laid back community. Now with this experience, many of these people are facing the reality that so many poor and people of colour have to face daily when they leave their home or call for police help. This incident where an innocent unarmed citizen who called police, and got gunned downed by the police that responded to the call, is not even rare in America, I have seen and read case after case of this over the last several years, most are swept under the rug and heard nothing about in the mainstream media, back door deals made, etc. Justine's case came to light in all mainstream media the last couple dayz, because she didnt fit the stereotype of the kind of people that get killed in this manner. What they need to do also, is actually start charging these officers, Officer Noor has already had multiple complaints just in his 2 years as an officer, even under federal investigation for forcing his way into a woman's home and physical abuse. When you have a history of abuse and violence as an officer, it should be dealt with immediately, when you sweep it under the rug, it inspires other officers with issues to think they can get away with it. Officer Noor, like Officer Oliver in our local case of the Jordan Edwards teen murdered in the Dallas area, both had a history of multiple cases of abuse and physical aggression towards women.
In Dallas for example on the Jordan Edwards murder by suburban Balch Springs Police Officer Oliver in April, Balch Springs Police Chief Haber gave no paid administrative leave to Oliver, he immediately fired him, and Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson, immediately charged and jailed Oliver without going through the grand jury route, the same as they do with any citizen where they have clear evidence and probable cause to charge a person with murder, and yesterday a Dallas County grand jury indicted Oliver to make it solid (NBC5DFW) ... things move a little faster in Dallas though, than Baltimore or Minneapolis ... but that's how you do it. You also have increased pressure from police leaders, unions, courts and politicians local on up the chain, to try to suppress murder convictions and sentences on officers in America ... why? ... is because once an actual conviction and sentence is handed down, it stays on the law books and lays precedent like any case to be able to use in other indictments and trials of officers in the future. So I hope that in Justine's case, her supporters will go after legislators and put their balls to the wall with pressure, and even would help if the Australian government got involved on this one. Dont believe that you cant change this culture ... that is another myth of despair and fear that only breeds weakness ... it's just a matter of solidarity and pressure. Already groups like Brand New Congress even have candidates lining up to replace existing politicians from the local level to the Washington level in both parties as early as 2018 who will NOT take corporate money ... the wealth is what is flooding this culture financially and feeding it, and not just in America. Just because the US Supreme Court sayz that major banks, corporations and their associates can flood our elections with unlimited money ... doesnt mean you have to take it, and there are many who will not.
Word Out ....
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Justine with fiance Don Damond & son Zach Damond
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***** RANCH CHIMP JOURNAL "WELCOME" POST
***** RCJ MUSIC/ ART'S HONOUR ROLL SOCIETY (my hand- selected music/ arts picks)
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