Nothing that Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor encountered or did justified his decision to fatally shoot Justine Ruszczyk Damond in July, according to charges filed Tuesday accusing him of murder.

The now-former officer turned himself in to officials Tuesday morning and was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He is no longer with the department.

Mohamed Mohamed Noor, 32, shot Damond after she called 911 late on July 15 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home in Southwest Minneapolis. The 40-year-old Australia native and life coach had approached their police vehicle that night, startling the officers, before Noor fired his handgun through the open driver’s side window, the charges said.

“There is no evidence that, in that short timeframe, Officer Noor encountered, appreciated, investigated, or confirmed a threat that justified the decision to use deadly force,” according to the complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court. “Instead, Officer Noor recklessly and intentionally fired his handgun.”

Noor’s attorney criticized the decision to charge his client.

“The facts will show that Officer Noor acted as he has been trained and consistent with established departmental policy,” Noor’s attorney Tom Plunkett said in a statement. He added that Noor continues to extend condolences to Damond’s family.

Former Minneapolis Officer Mohamed Noor's attorney, Tom Plunkett, just issued a statement. pic.twitter.com/qksqtkeSyb — Mara Gottfried (@MaraGottfried) March 20, 2018

Damond’s father, John Ruszcyzk, and her Minneapolis fiance, Don Damond, praised the charging decision.

“No charges can bring our Justine back,” the family said in a statement issued by their attorney. “However, justice demands accountability for those responsible for recklessly killing the fellow citizens they are sworn to protect, and today’s actions reflect that.”

WHEN OFFICERS USE FORCE

Under Minnesota law, police officers can use deadly force to protect themselves or others “from apparent death or great bodily harm.”

Noor’s partner — who was in the driver’s seat and told investigators he had a better vantage point than Noor — added that he couldn’t tell if the person who was approaching was a male or female, adult or child, and he couldn’t see the person’s hands, the charges said.

“What is the threat that requires the use of deadly force?” said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, who added that the complaint states that Noor “did not act objectively reasonably … and abused his authority to use deadly force.”

Noor is charged with third-degree murder “for perpetrating an eminently dangerous act” and with second-degree manslaughter for “culpable negligence creating unreasonable risk.” The murder charge is for a death caused without intent. Prosecutors often charge multiple counts if applicable to give the jury options, or to use as bargaining tools during plea negotiations.

Conviction on the first charge carries a presumptive sentence of 12½ years; the second, four years. Bail was set at $500,000.

Noor’s first court appearance will be Wednesday afternoon.

UNCOOPERATIVE OFFICERS SLOWED INVESTIGATION

Freeman originally promised a charging decision by the end of 2017, but he said in December that he needed more time.

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Watch: Press conference on charges filed against Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor “As I have said numerous times over the past few months, we would not be rushed to a decision by any outside pressure,” Freeman said. “We gathered every piece of information, no matter how minute. We looked at the tragic night from every perspective.”

Some Minneapolis police officers were unwilling to cooperate with the investigation, saying they were advised against it by the police union, Freeman said. Their hesitancy slowed down the decision process.

“I’ve never had police officers who weren’t suspects refuse to do their duty and come forward and talk to us,” said Freeman, who’s been in his position for nearly 18 years. “We therefore had no choice but to subpoena them under a grand jury and take their testimony under oath.”

While a grand jury was used, Freeman said he made the decision to charge Noor.

CHARGES DESCRIBE FATEFUL NIGHT

Noor’s partner at the time of the shooting, Matthew Harrity, told investigators that he was startled by a loud noise right before Damond approached the driver’s side window of their police SUV. Harrity was driving.

He told investigators “we both got spooked,” and said he perceived his life was in danger. He pulled out his gun, put it close to his ribcage, and pointed it down, according to the criminal complaint.

Harrity said Noor then fired his weapon from the passenger seat through the open driver’s side window, hitting Damond in the abdomen.

“I’m dying,” Damond reportedly said moments after being shot.

The officers did not turn on their body cameras until after the shooting, and there was no squad camera video of the incident near West 51st Street and Washburn Avenue South in the Fulton neighborhood.

The lack of video was widely criticized, and Damond’s family members were among the many people who called for changes in procedure, including how often officers are required to turn on their cameras.

SHOOTING PROMPTS DEPARTMENT CHANGES

Janee Harteau, Minneapolis police chief at the time, defended Noor’s training and said he was suited to be on the street, even as she criticized the shooting itself as the case made international headlines.

But Harteau was soon forced out by then-Mayor Betsy Hodges. Hodges said she had lost confidence in Harteau.

Harteau’s replacement, Medaria Arradondo, quickly announced a policy change requiring officers to turn on their body cameras in responding to any call or traffic stop.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he hopes “the assurance that justice is being pursued in a thorough and transparent way offers a small measure of comfort.”

“It is important to remember that trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve — especially communities of color — was fractured long before last July,” Frey said in a statement.

The charges against an officer in a shooting death are the second such case recently in Minnesota.

Former St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez was charged with and later acquitted of manslaughter in the 2016 death of motorist Philando Castile in Falcon Heights.

Between 2005 and 2017, there were an estimated 12,000 police-involved shootings nationwide. Only 80 officers were charged with murder or manslaughter, and only 35 percent of those charged were convicted, Freeman said.

NOOR NO LONGER WITH DEPARTMENT

In a statement, Arradondo said Noor’s time on the police force ended Tuesday.

Noor joined the Minneapolis Police Department in March 2015 with no other police experience.

He was trained in the classroom and at the gun range before becoming in officer, according to the criminal complaint.

“The training included numerous scenarios intended to teach identifying a target and its threat, if any, before shooting at it,” Freeman said. “(He was) trained with multiple types of targets and taught decision-making based on the threat before (him).”

Before joining the Minneapolis force, Noor worked in property management and had trained in business and economics. The Somali-American’s arrival on the force had been celebrated by city leaders and Minnesota’s large Somali community.

Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he supports the charges against Noor, but hopes they are based on the “heinousness of the crime” and not on Noor’s ethnicity.

RALLY HELD IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS

Activists held a rally in South Minneapolis Tuesday evening in response to the decision. They wanted to support Damond and others who have died during encounters with police.

In a statement, the Minneapolis NAACP said the charges “may bring us one step towards justice, but we must continue to ask ‘for who?’ While we applaud the efforts of Attorney Freeman, we urge him to be this courageous regardless of the skin color of the officer and the victim.”

Charging Noor is a necessary step for Minneapolis police accountability. Justine Damond should not have been shot and killed. Jamar Clark should not have been shot and killed either, but there were no charges filed against the white cops who killed him. https://t.co/sO0v1yYcYe — Minneapolis NAACP (@NAACPmpls) March 20, 2018

This report includes information from the Associated Press.