A former US policeman has been found guilty by a jury of third-degree murder and second degree manslaughter of an Australian woman and faces around 12 years in jail.
Mohamed Noor was a Minneapolis patrol car when he shot Justine Damond Ruszczyk in the stomach as she approached his police car in July 2017.
He was taken into custody and handcuffed straight after a jury delivered its verdict and is due to be sentenced on June 7
Noor, who was acquitted of the more serious second-degree intentional murder charge, is the first Minnesota police officer convicted over an on-duty shooting.
He showed no reaction, but his wife cried as the jury’s verdict was read out over the July 2017 shooting death of Ms Damond Ruszczyk, a 40-year-old dual citizen of Australia and the US.
She had called 911 just minutes before she was shot to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home.
The 33-year-old Noor testified that a loud bang on his squad car made him fearful, and he fired when he saw a woman appear who was raising her arm.
He said he fired to protect his partner’s life, but prosecutors criticised Noor’s decision to shoot and said he had “no basis” to believe she had a weapon when he could not see her hands.
Noor’s lawyers had argued he was justified in using deadly force to protect himself and partner Matthew Harrity from a perceived threat.
Neither officer had a body camera running when Ms Damond Ruszczyk was shot, which Mr Harrity blamed on what he called a vague policy that did not require it.
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A proposed commercial development at the site of the 2002 Sari Club bombing in Bali which killed 88 Australians has been halted indefinitely, and supporters remain hopeful a peace park can be established on the land.
The owner of the former Sari Club site has agreed to stop development adding that construction of a multi storey restaurant will not go ahead
The Indonesian Consul General has also given assurances the development will not proceed, reports the ABC which added that it understood Prime Minister Scott Morrison made key calls in recent days, possibly to the Indonesian President
It is also understood Indonesia had expressed concern about the impact on tourism if the development continued.
The owner of the site, Sukamto Tjia, had planned to turn the first stone on Wednesday to begin construction of a five-storey restaurant at the site where 202 people — including 88 Australians — were killed.
The suspension of the plans to erect the building 17 years after the Sari Club was bombed came after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison met with members of the Bali Peace Park Association in Perth.
Australian lobbyists will travel to Bali next week for further negotiations.
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ABC TV’s News Breakfast co-host Virginia Trioli will take over the helm of ABC’s Melbourne Mornings radio program from veteran broadcaster Jon Faine who is retiring.
And she says she expects to make “great radio” in her new job starting at the end of the year.
Trioli helped launch the ABC News Breakfast television program 11 years ago.
Faine has presented Mornings since 1997 and announced his retirement in January.
The show is broadcast to the Melbourne metropolitan area between 8.30am and midday on weekdays.
Trioli has been at the national broadcaster for 20 years, and described the chance to host Mornings as a “once-in-a-career opportunity”.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be taking on one of the most precious radio jobs in the country,” Trioli said.
“Jon and the ABC Melbourne team, for more than two decades, have created an agenda-setting and community-building program that means so much not only to Melburnians, but to anyone who values great conversation and the vital need for the continuing contest of ideas.
“Melbourne — we’re going to make great radio together!”
Speaking on air this morning with Faine, Trioli said she wanted to promote a “contest of ideas” on her program.
“Any view is welcome, bring your best, make your argument. Listen, attend, think and keep your mind open,” she said.
“We’ll also hope to have a lot of fun along the way.”
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