Chaos in Minneapolis: Angry protesters shut down mayor’s press conference as police chief RESIGNS over death of bride-to-be Justine Damond at hands of 'startled' cop
- Dozens of angry protesters shut down press conference of Mayor Betsy Hodges
- 'We do not want you as our mayor!' one man said as he called for her resignation
- Hodges was announcing nomination for police chief when protesters walked in
- Police Chief Janeé Harteau announced her resignation Friday in a statement
- Chief's departure comes less than a week after an officer fatally shot Justine Damond, a 40-year-old Australian woman
- Hodges said she asked for Harteau to resign saying she lost 'confidence' in her
- On Saturday, bride-to-be Damond called 911 to report a possible sexual assault
- Damond reportedly walked up to the police car and started talking to the driver when Officer Mohamed Noor shot her through the driver's side door
Just
hours after the Minneapolis police chief was forced to resign on Friday
over the fatal shooting of an Australian woman, outraged protesters took
over the mayor's City Hall press conference and called for her
resignation.
'We do not want you as our
mayor!' a protester yelled at Mayor Betsy Hodges, who asked for the
resignation of Police Chief Janeé Harteau following the police-involved
shooting death of Justine Damond on Saturday night.
'You
have been ineffective as a leader and we want you to take your staff
with you because they have terrorized us enough,' the man yelled as
protesters in the room called for 'Justice for Justine'.
'I
have heard you, and I have listened...,' Mayor Hodges said as she
attempted to calm the crowd, but she was immediately interrupted as the
man continued to yell: 'You have failed us since you’ve been in office.
Stop killing us!'
The crowd of protesters then started chanting, 'Bye, bye Betsy' as the mayor was escorted out of the press conference.
Justine
Damond was killed Saturday night after calling 911 to report a possible
sexual assault near her home in south Minneapolis, when responding
officer, Mohamed Noor, shot her from his squad car.
'Justine didn't have to die. This should not have happened,' Harteau said in a press conference on Thursday.
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Just
hours after Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau (right) was forced to
resign on Friday over the fatal shooting of Australian woman, Justine
Damond, outraged protesters took over Mayor Betsy Hodges' (left) press
conference and called for her resignation
'I have heard you, and I have
listened...,' Mayor Hodges (right) said as she attempted to calm the
crowd, but she was immediately interrupted as the man continued to yell:
'You have failed us since you’ve been in office'
'We do not want you as our
mayor!' a protester (pictured) yelled at Hodges, who asked for the
resignation of Harteau following the police-involved shooting death of
Justine Damond on Saturday night
The angry crowd of protesters started chanting, 'Bye, bye Betsy' as the mayor was escorted out of the press conference
'We want you to take your staff
with you because they have terrorized us enough,' a man yelled as
protesters in the room called for 'Justice for Justine'. Justine Damond
(pictured) was shot and killed by police officer Mohamed Noor on
Saturday night after calling 911
In
a statement posted to the police department's website earlier on Friday
Harteau said: 'I've decided I am willing to step aside to let a fresh
set of leadership eyes see what more can be done for the MPD to be the
very best it can be.'
'Last Saturday's
tragedy, as well as some other recent incidents, have caused me to
engage in deep reflection,' Harteau said in her statement.
'Despite
the MPD's many accomplishments under my leadership over these years and
my love for the city, I have to put the communities we serve first.'
Earlier
on Friday, Mayor Hodges issued a statement immediately after Harteau
resigned, saying she asked for the chief to step down.
'As
far as we have come, I've lost confidence in the Chief's ability to
lead us further - and from the many conversations I've had with people
around our city, especially this week, it is clear that she has lost the
confidence of the people of Minneapolis as well,' Hodges said.
Bride-to-be
Damond (right) called 911 to report a possible sexual assault near her
home in south Minneapolis, when responding officer, Mohamed Noor (left),
shot her from his squad car
The outraged protesters told the
mayor they had enough and it was time for new administration as they
called for her to resign as well
Photos of the press conference showed Mayor Hodges (left) leaving as protesters (right) took over the room
'For
us to continue to transform policing — and community trust in policing —
we need new leadership at MPD,' the statement read.
'In
conversation with the Chief today, she and I agreed that she would step
aside to make way for new leadership. I asked Chief Harteau for her
resignation, she tendered it, and I have accepted it,' Hodges said.
The mayor also announced her nomination for the new police chief.
'I will nominate current Assistant Chief Medaria "Rondo" Arradondo as Minneapolis' next Police Chief,' she said.
Damond was at home Saturday night when she called 911 to report a noise and a possible assault in an alley near her home.
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While police did not have body
cameras switched on during the shooting, sources with knowledge of the
incident claim the officers arrived at the alley at 11.30pm that night.
Damond reportedly walked up to the car and started talking to the officer driving.
Noor
was in the passenger seat of his police car and his partner, one-year
rookie Matthew Harrity, was driving when they pulled into an alley
behind the Damond's home.
Officer Noor shot across Harrity and out the driver's side open window at Damond as she suddenly approached their vehicle.
Damond, originally from Sydney, had been living in the US for three years and was due to marry American businessman Don Damond, 50, in August.
At the time of the shooting Don, the vice president of Little Six Casino was away on business.
Her soon-to-be stepson Zach was reportedly also not at the home at the time, but returned on Sunday to discover the crime scene.
Call for
answers: Don Damond, Justine's fiance, fought back tears as he said
earlier this week that the cops have failed to provide any explanation
'Thrown under the bus': Proud
Somali-American Mohamed Noor said his fellow officers are not backing
him. A friend told Daily Mail.com: '... in this situation he has
realized he is probably alone with his legal team and Somali police
colleagues'
Before her resignation, Harteau was criticized for remaining on holiday for four days during the aftermath of Damond's shocking death.
Earlier this week she said she wanted to assure the grieving family that justice would be served.
At
a press conference on Thursday, the chief repeatedly criticized Noor
despite the investigation into Damond's shooting being in its early
stages.
'I believe the actions in
question go against who we are as a department, how we train and the
expectations we have for our officers,' Harteau said.
'These were the actions and judgement of one individual.'
Harteau said she had spoken to Don Damond and told him 'Justine did not have to die'.
'I'll do everything in my power to make sure due process is followed and justice is served,' she said.
Noor's
family has complained the Somali-born 32-year-old, who joined the
police force two years ago, has not received support from other officers
since the shooting.
The Minneapolis police union has also unusually declined to publicly defend him.
Hundreds walked through the
streets of Damond's southern Minneapolis neighborhood on Thursday, less
than a week after she was shot and killed by a police officer
Don Damond was comforted outside
his home by Valerie Castile, the mother of Philando Castile, as
demonstrators march by Damond's home during the Peace and Justice March
for Justine
Zach and Don Damond outside their Minneapolis home on Thursday during the protest march
Damond's dad John Ruszczyk (pictured) is seen at a vigil held for his daughter on Sydney's northern beaches on Wednesday
The police chief also said Noor must be afforded due process as investigators continue to piece together the chain of events.
Harteau also criticized the officers for not having their body cameras on.
Noor's training had shown no indication he would have any 'issues', she said.
Damond's
fiance, who was happy for Justine to use his last name before they were
legally married, has described her death as a 'homicide' increasing
pressure on officials to come to a speedy conclusion with their
investigation and either charge officer Noor or exonerate him.
The
state's Bureau of Criminal Affairs (BCA), the agency investigating the
shooting, said Friday that Noor is still refusing an interview with
authorities.
But investigators located and interviewed a witness they had been seeking, the BCA said.
The
witness had been bicycling near the scene of the shooting and had
stopped to watch officers provide first aid. The BCA did not disclose
what the witness told investigators.
On Thursday, Tom Plunkett, who is representing Minnesota policeman Mohamed Noor, told CBS he
would like a second lab to examine the results of the autopsy on Damond
because 'it would be nice to know if there were some Ambien in her
system'.
Ambien is a sedative often prescribed to people who have difficulty sleeping.
Both
officers involved in the shooting have been put on paid administrative
leave, as is standard procedure following similar incidents.
Despite the outcome of the investigation, both men face being punished and possibly losing their jobs.
They
were in breach of their department's strict bodycam rules and were
compelled to switch on body cameras and record their interactions when
answering the 911 call.
On Thursday, hundreds of protesters marched through the streets of Minneapolis to honor the life of Justine Damond.
Friends, family and strangers held an emotional rally to pay tribute to Damond who was renowned for her caring nature.
'We
gather before you in our heartbreak, in our longing for healing,' one
woman can be heard saying on video captured at the protest.
Those who gathered held placards carrying messages of 'Justice for Justine', 'Justice of all' and 'Unite for Justice'.
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