Readers react: Police officer Mohamed Noor is charged in the death of Justine Damond

We asked for your comments on the charges against former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor in the July killing of Justine Damond after she had called to report a possible rape outside her south Minneapolis home. We received dozens of responses and are including most of them that were not submitted anonymously.

I am a retired law enforcement officer of 22 years and I have never heard of another officer firing his gun inside a squad car, from the passenger seat, across his partners chest out the drivers door window. He was either scared to death or totally incompetent. He is lucky he didn't also hit his partner. At that close range we could have two people dead.

Kenneth Kjer

I think they are justified. It's taken way too long to have this happen!

Harold Freeman

My chief worry is that we'll get yet another jury who won't actually listen to the facts of the case, but will instead start and end with the premise that the police are always right, no matter what crime police officers commit.

David Gustafson

Gail Van der Linden

Being a Police Officer is a tough job. You get little, if any, respect for the dangers that your job places you in. Still, Police Officers need to remember: (1) They CHOSE the potentially dangerous job; (2) They are paid with PUBLIC funds; and (3) They have the RESPONSIBILITY to protect the PUBLIC. No doubt about that. I feel that Officer Noor used armed force TOO QUICKLY. That should have been a last resort. Instead, I think that the officers should have stopped, rolled up their squad car windows, and looked around. The noise that they heard might have been an animal, or just their car acting up. Office Noor deserves to be punished for firing his gun too quickly, and killing Justine

Gregory Alm

This seems to be a tragic error on the part of the policeman. From the details I've seen so far I can't identify a motive for the officer to shoot other than fear. With that said, clearly an innocent woman was killed, and even sadder, killed while she was trying to help a person in distress. I know nothing of police procedures, but it seems both officers were concerned enough to be prepared to use their firearms. The use of the grand jury makes me wonder if there simply was not sufficient evidence for [Hennepin County Attorney Mike] Freeman to bring charges, so the GJ was used to provide political cover. This seems a terrible mistake, one that will leave all involved injured and diminished.

Rob Johnstone

Matt Hunt

Police officers who kill citizens whether justifiably or not, should turn in their gun and badge. They should go thru an extensive outside investigation keeping in mind that all cops will cover for them. No cop will break the Blue Code of Silence ever. We see murders happen right on camera and the cop gets to keep his gun, his badge and his job. They are not here for our protection. They are here to enforce the laws and increase revenue. In my personal life, I have seen enough cops out of control in person to know if I ever have any involvement, I shut my mouth and hope they don't taze or kill me. They should be drug tested randomly, especially for steroids. I am white.

Jesse Smith

Officer Noor acted properly fearing a potential 911 officer killing something that has been happening frequently across our nation. Free him.

Joe Stark

Hans Madland

As an ex-LAPD cop, a cop has a tough life; he ends up in situations where an ordinary citizen is not, and he must react. If Officer Noor had been Citizen Noor, he never would have been put in that situation. Sounds like he overreacted, but a murder charge sounds a bit much.

Ted Storck

It is possible that I owe Mike Freeman an apology. After waiting six months, I somehow don't feel any better about any of this. Former Officer Noor very much has the aspect of someone who know he screwed up. He had at least the guts to turn himself in and face it, eventually. I hope he cops a plea, does his time, and gets on with it. Blood lust does not help anyone.

Nathan E. Kuhlman