Family Of Yoga Instructor Killed By Cop Reaches $20M Settlement

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Family Of Justine Damond Reaches $20 Million Settlement With The City of Minneapolis

A settlement has been reached in the tragic Justine Ruszczyk Damond case.

According to NBC News, the family of the yoga teacher who was shot dead by a cop agreed to a $20 million settlement with the city of Minneapolis.

The settlement occurred only three days after jurors convicted the former police officer, Mohamed Noor, of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the July 15, 2017 killing of Damond, who was a duel citizen of the U.S. and Australia.

Back in 2017, Damond, 40, called 911 because she believed she heard a sexual assault happening in an alley near her place. However, when Noor and his partner Matthew Harrity pulled up to Damond’s home, they mistook her as a threat and Noor opened fire on her. Damond was unarmed. Meanwhile, evidence of a sexual assault was not found.

Damond’s family filed a $50 million lawsuit against the city, an action that was put on hold depending on the result of the criminal trial. When Noor was convicted, settlement talks immediately began, according to City Council President Lisa Bender.

“We know that no amount of money can heal the pain that the Ruszczyk family or any family that has lost a loved one in this way,” Bender said. “It is our continued commitment to work together, with our community, to demand and support change to policing.”

On Friday, the city council voted unanimously to approve the settlement. The family has pledged $2 million to a local charity centered around gun violence in Minneapolis.

“This is not a victory for anyone, but rather a way for our city to move forward,” Mayor Jacob Frey said. “And I do believe that we will move forward together, united in the shared belief that such a tragedy should never occur in our city.”

Meanwhile, Noor, 33, faces up to 15 years in prison. He was taken into custody right after his verdict was read and he’s scheduled to be sentenced on June 7.