Garland condemns racism, excessive force in Minneapolis police, omits victim’s race.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland Discusses DOJ Investigation into Minneapolis Police Department

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland recently discussed the results of the Department of Justice’s investigation into alleged racism and excessive force by the Minneapolis Police Department. The investigation focused on the years leading up to the tragic death of George Floyd. However, Garland failed to mention the races of the individuals involved when discussing the killing of a white woman by a minority officer.

Investigation Launched After Derek Chauvin’s Conviction

In April 2021, following the murder conviction of Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, Garland announced the launch of an investigation into potential systemic issues within the department.

“We found that MPD unlawfully discriminates against black and Native American people in its enforcement activities,” Garland stated. “Such conduct is deeply disturbing and erodes the community’s trust in law enforcement.”

While Garland mentioned other cases prior to Floyd’s death, he also referenced the 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk, a white dual U.S.-Australian citizen. Ruszczyk called 911 to report a possible sexual assault behind her home. However, Garland did not explicitly mention the racial backgrounds of those involved. The police officer who killed Ruszczyk, Mohamed Noor, is a person of color. Noor was initially convicted of murder, but the charge was later downgraded to manslaughter after an appeal.

“MPD officers discharge firearms at people without assessing whether the person presents any threat, let alone a threat that would justify deadly force,” Garland explained, using the shooting of Ruszczyk as an example.

The case shocked the nation three years before Floyd’s death. Although the police officers involved were not wearing body cameras, witnesses informed the police that they arrived at 11:30 p.m. on a Saturday night. The sequence of events was partially captured through police radio transmissions.

Ruszczyk approached the police car in her pajamas and addressed the driver when Noor reportedly pulled out his gun and shot her through the driver’s door. According to one source, Noor’s partner was “stunned” when he opened fire.

Noor faced a maximum sentence of 12.5 years in prison and later requested a sentence in which he would serve two weeks in prison each year. His attorneys suggested that he spend one week in a low-security prison annually to “honor” Ruszczyk’s birthday and one week to mark the day of her death, as reported by the Daily Mail.

“This sentence honors the memory of Ms. Rusczcyk and allows Mr. Noor to continue to serve the city,” his attorneys wrote. “Just as importantly, it mandates that Mr. Noor will continue to consider his actions and the great loss they caused.”

Ruszczyk was set to marry American businessman Don Damond in August 2017.

Three days after his daughter’s death, John Ruszczyk issued a statement calling for the truth about the incident to come to light and for justice to be served. He said:

“We thought yesterday was our worst nightmare, but we awoke to the ugly truth, and it hurt even more. Justine, our daughter, was so special to us and to so many others,” he expressed. “We went down to the beach this morning and saw the blackness change to light. Justine was a beacon to all of us. We only ask that the light of justice shine down on the circumstances of her death.

Ruszczyk’s fiancé, Don Damond, tearfully stated, “The death of Justine is a loss to everyone who knew her. She touched so many people with her loving and generous heart. She was a teacher to so many in living a life of openness and kindness.”

Related:

• WATCH: Father Of Australian Woman Killed By Somali Police Officer in Minneapolis Demands Justice
• Minneapolis Cop Who Shot Woman To Death Asks For Sentence Of Two Weeks In Jail Each Year