Woman reportedly 'slapped' squad car before police shooting
A woman approached the back of a Minneapolis police car and "slapped" it shortly before an Australian woman was shot and killed by an officer, according to a Minnesota search warrant.
The search warrant obtained by Minnesota Public Radio does not say the woman was Justine Damond, but reads: "Upon police arrival, a female 'slaps' the back of the patrol squad ... After that, it is unknown what exactly happened, but the female became deceased in the alley."
News of the warrant came hours after personnel records for the officer who fatally shot Damond were publicly released Monday.
The records show Officer Mohamed Noor was hired as a cadet in March 2015.
In September of that year, he received a letter saying he passed his Peace Officer Licensing Examination and was eligible to become a licensed, sworn officer.
The records also show Noor took multiple training courses, including recent in-service training about active shooter situations during the Super Bowl, which will be held in Minneapolis in 2018.
His file also says he passed all of his annual semi-automatic, handgun and shotgun qualifications, but there are no additional details about how he performed.
Noor is on paid leave after he killed Damond, a 40-year-old spiritual teacher who was engaged to be married, on July 15 after she called 911 twice to report a possible rape.
Noor, who was in the passenger seat of a squad car, shot across his partner in the driver's seat and hit Damond.
His partner told authorities that he was startled by a loud noise shortly before Damond appeared at the police vehicle.
The search warrant did not say whether the slap was the loud noise Noor's partner described, MPR reported.
State authorities are investigating potential criminal charges. Noor also faces an internal use of force investigation.
Questions about police training were raised after details about the shooting were released.
Last week, then-police Chief Janee Harteau criticized Noor's actions but defended his training, saying: "This officer completed that training very well. He was very suited to be on the street."
Harteau resigned Friday at the request of the mayor.
