On anniversary of her death, Justine Ruszczyk Damond remembered in Minneapolis

A bench with her name on it was dedicated near Minnehaha Creek.

July 15, 2018 at 7:09AM

A bright cascade of flowers covered a brand-new park bench near Minnehaha Creek dedicated Saturday to the memory of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, killed one year ago this weekend by a Minneapolis police officer.

Many in the crowd of about 100 people who came out to honor Damond, including Mayor Jacob Frey, carried pink flowers that they would later drop into the creek. The quiet, solemn event was planned with her roles as meditation teacher and spiritual healer in mind.

The bench site was chosen because it's where Damond and her fiancé, Don Damond, who was present Saturday along with his mother, Sharon Sebring, first expressed their love for one another, organizers said. After a brief ceremony, people mingled in the street in a block closed off for the event.

The 3:30 p.m. bench dedication time was chosen because Damond's relatives in her native Australia, joined by Don Damond's son, Zach, were gathered at a beach there at the same time — though it was sunrise in Australia.

"Whether it was ducklings stuck in a sewer pipe or a woman calling for help, Justine gave her life helping somebody," Don Damond told the crowd. He thanked those gathered for helping him and his family get through their time of grief.

"You opened your hearts and offered so much," he said. "As soon as that bullet pierced Justine's body, it pierced my heart, too."

Later Saturday, a candlelight walk was planned from the Damonds' home in the 5000 block of Washburn Avenue S. down the back alley to the spot where Damond was fatally shot by Officer Mohammed Noor on July 15, 2017.

Noor has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Damond, 40, who had called police to report a possible assault behind her home in the Fulton neighborhood. Noor, who was sitting in the passenger seat of the squad car sent to the scene, shot and killed her.

Her death mobilized neighbors to rally against fatal police shootings, bringing together diverse communities in broader protests against all such shootings in Minnesota and elsewhere.

Liz Sawyer • 612-673-4648

Mindy Barry, a neighbor and friend of Don Damond, placed a candle at a memorial set up at the site where Justine Damond Ruszczyk was killed by Minneapolis Police officer Mohamed Noor one year ago tonight.
Mindy Barry, a neighbor and friend of Don Damond, placed a candle at a memorial set up at the site where Justine Damond Ruszczyk was killed by Minneapolis Police officer Mohamed Noor one year ago tonight. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Friends and family that gathered to dedicate a bench to Justine Ruszczyk Damond at Minnehaha Creek between 53rd and 54th streets gathered up flowers to throw into the water in her honor on the one year anniversary of her death.
Friends and family gathered to dedicate a bench to Justine Ruszczyk Damond at Minnehaha Creek between 53rd and 54th streets. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Don and Justine Damond
Don Damond and Justine Ruszczyk Damond (Terry Sauer/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Liz Sawyer

Reporter

Liz Sawyer  covers Minneapolis crime and policing at the Star Tribune. Since joining the newspaper in 2014, she has reported extensively on Minnesota law enforcement, state prisons and the youth justice system. 

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