Officer Mohamed Noor’s Shooting of Justine Damond Reveals Online Vitriol and a Sensationalist Media

Abdi Rage Mohamed
Jul 23, 2017 · 7 min read
Officer Mohamed Noor of the Minneapolis Police Department (left) and Justine Damond, the victim on last weeks shooting on July 15th

Update: On Friday, Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau was asked to resign by the city’s mayor, Betsy Hodges, in light of the officer involved killing of Justine Damond. Mayor Hodges said in a statement that she had “lost confidence in the chief’s ability to lead us further.” Former chief Harteau had made a statement on Damond’s death the day before her resignation that she believed “Justine didn’t have to die” based on information released by investigators. During Mayor Hodges press conference announcing the chief’s resignation, protesters stormed in the room in a successful attempt to shut down the briefing and began calling for the mayor’s resignation as well. These events over the past few days have revealed a tumultuous relationship between the residents of Minneapolis, the police and city leadership.

It’s been a week since Australian native Justine Ruszczyk Damond, was fatally shot last Saturday night after police officers responded to her 911 call asking officers to investigate a possible attack near her home. The officer that shot her has been identified as Mohamed Noor, reports stated on Monday. Noor is a Somali American who has been on the Minneapolis police force just under two years. The reaction from the online community about his identity and the media coverage that followed has been unprecedented.

Officer involved shootings have taken on a pattern of white officers and black victims over the years, mainly involving men who die in circumstances convoluted by conflicting reports. These shootings have entrenched many Americans, some of whom choose to blame the victim and call into question their past while others point out possible of prejudice in the officer’s actions. However, neither party truly examines the facts of each individual case.

Vitriolic online reaction stem from views influenced either by apathy towards the victim or outrage at the injustice of officers being acquitted. For this particular case, however, the online reaction and media coverage seem to inspire an opposite reaction. Many of those showing unwavering support for law enforcement have called into question Noor’s judgement and intentions, and the most victim supports have remained silent.

Critics of the indifference to black victims of police violence have referred to Damond’s death casually, teetering on sarcastic. They called her a thug and ironically urged others not to rush to judgement before more evidence emerges.

“This woman was a THUG and should’ve complied with the officers commands. Oh wait that would’ve only been said if she were black.”

“Was she high? I wonder if she tested positive for marijuana. She was into yoga and alternative lifestyles after all. Sarcasm by the way.”

Not only is this kind of callous commentary unwarranted and unproductive, but it also implies that there is a societal priority of scoring points over the expression of empathy towards victims and their loved ones.

Other comments have pointed out the lack of outrage from local Black Lives Matter organizers and criticize their past protests against law enforcement, stating that their actions are selective. During the fallout of past police-involved shootings, a significant portion of comments from the online community have shown support for law enforcement. The support for Noor from this same community seems to be less outspoken.

“Where are the protests? Where are the blocked highways? Where is BLM? There is nothing happening because she is WHITE.”

Noor is relatively new to the force, but he still has had three complaints filed against him. The main complaint cited is excessive force involving a woman who called for police for assistance, only to be detained and involuntarily hospitalized. There reports have now clouded any objective reporting on his policing methods.

It’s rare to see the questioning of an officer’s character in the days following a shooting. The last law enforcement officer to make headlines in the Twin Cities after a shooting was Jeronimo Yanez, who shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop. Yanez did not have his police records released until after his non-guilty verdict passed. Some of the information that was released after the verdict included the revelation of his inadequate training to defuse situations.

News outlets like Fox News ran headlines prefacing Noor’s ethnic background and immigrant status before readers could dive into the facts. Far-right outlets have taken a malicious tone with the case with views echoing some of the more disdainful comments found on social media. World Net Daily, along with Daily Mail Online, ran multiple stories referring to Noor as a “killer Somali American cop” and a “cop named Mohamed.”

The Islamophobic website known as Jihad Watch ran a story that tethered Noor’s religious faith to his police work. The piece stated that there is “no evidence now that he is a jihadi or that this” [Damond’s death] “was a jihadist attack.”

Former congressional representative for Minnesota’s 6th district, Michele Bachmann, gave a statement to WND and speculated that Noor’s motivation for shooting Damond might have be tied to a type of jihadist religiosity. She repeated these statements publicly as a guest of honor at an annual hog roast and Republican gubernatorial forum. Bachmann referred to Noor as an “affirmative action hire” and might have killed Damond over “cultural” reasons like being out at night alone in pajamas. Inflammatory comments like this are predictable to find on social media, but unexpected from a former presidential candidate.

National publications are unable to formulate narratives to frame the shooting and have made questionable choices, from an editorial perspective. The Washington Post published the story on the “backlash” faced by the Somali community. Some see it as unnecessary to tie the Somali community to the officer.

Former Minnesota Public Radio reporter, Mukhtar Ibrahim, called the article “lazy journalism” in a Facebook post. He went on to say that the “Somali community has nothing to do with what officer Mohamed Noor did” and that stories like this “spread fear and confusion.” He also raised the point that reporters should handle this case the way they dealt with the Yanez investigation where they left the Mexican community out of it.

On Tuesday, a Minneapolis Somali police officer spoke anonymously about the pressure he and his eight colleagues faced from media outlets, as well as their condolences to the victim and her family. The source described reporters staking outside of their homes and knocking on their doors. The officer stated that these tactics were “scaring our families” and expressing that it is “difficult to deal with some media groups going to other Somali officers’ houses who are not involved in this shooting.”

Shaun King of New York Daily News is a vocal critic of policing in America and wrote extensively on the racial dynamics at play in past police-involved shootings. This week, he published a report on the shooting with a newfound empathy of white Americans to victims of police brutality through the death of Damond. This report seemed indifferent with an assumptive view.

For example, King predicted that Noor would benefit from the infamous Blue Wall of Silence. He stated, “We should expect the officers to corroborate each other’s stories and speak of how the yoga instructor caused them to fear for their lives.” In the days after the shooting, this could not be further from the truth.

According to the preliminary investigation conducted by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in Minnesota, Officer Matthew Harrity (the other officer on the scene) was interviewed while Noor declined. A source from in the police department anonymously stated to local news outlets that Harrity was stunned by Noor’s actions. There is also a contrast in the response from the Minneapolis Police Federation, which has always defended its officers after incidents. However, they have now decided not to make a statement until the facts are clear. Not much of a wall for Noor to stand behind.

Political figures in the city have handled the incident fairly well, given the circumstances. Mayor Betsy Hodges is at the center of the communities impacted by this shooting and is doing her best to represent everyone. However, she has to balance her assurances to the Somali community while ensuring Damond’s family and neighbors that answers will be given.

Hodges is also in the media firestorm because of her past praise of Noor being the first Somali officer to join the department’s fifth precinct. Many rightwing blogs feature images of her wearing a hijab while speaking to members of the Muslim community. These kind of pointed attacks go beyond mud slinging and have dubious intentions of smearing Hodges for her support of a large Muslim community.

Hodges struck an even tone with a Facebook post shared on Wednesday. She reaffirmed her commitment to the Somali community in Minneapolis and that there should be differentiation between them and officer Noor. The mayor also referred to Noor as a “fully trained officer” and promised he would not be “treated differently than any other officer.” When public leaders mismanage the roll out of measured statements, it can exacerbate an already sensitive situation.

Last year, Governor Mark Dayton created a firestorm between his administration and leaders of the police union when he characterized the confrontation between Castile and Yanez as a racial one.

Dayton continued to stoke controversy a year later after proposing a $12 million police training fund to be named after Philando Castile. This outraged officers across the state, causing representatives from multiple law enforcement agencies to issue a statement.

The online reaction and media coverage of the confrontation between Justine Damond and Officer Mohamed Noor is a reflection of society’s inability to process the event that transpired.

Conventional wisdom referring to violent encounters with law enforcement over the past few years has elicited a response to the racial biases at play. With a case such as this where the identities don’t quite fall into traditional places, we hope to find answers in the press. So far the press has come up short. Social media is a designated platform for reactionary commentary, but our news outlets should never falter to this level, as they serve a higher purpose of contextualizing these events with the facts from the investigation.

There is no formal public statement by Officer Noor on his actions the night of his fatal encounter with Damond. Recent reports have mentioned that the officers heard a loud noise, which may have startled Noor to react with force. Officer Harrity’s attorney Fred Bruno told reporters it was “reasonable” to believe that they feared an ambush was occurring that night in light of a recent police assassination.

Authorities released the transcript to the 911 calls on Wednesday from Damond. The recording implies that she reported a possible sexual assault behind her home, confirming previous reports.

The Rage

The Rage in News, Media and Culture

Abdi Rage Mohamed

Written by

Abdi Rage Mohamed is a writer covering politics, news media, and cultural commentary.

The Rage

The Rage

The Rage in News, Media and Culture

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