The father of Justine Ruszczyk has rejected an apology from Mohamed Noor, the policeman who shot and killed her.

Key points: John Ruszczyk says Mohamed Noor's apology "doesn't bring back my daughter"

John Ruszczyk says Mohamed Noor's apology "doesn't bring back my daughter" Mr Ruszczyk said the family had feared Noor would not even be charged

Mr Ruszczyk said the family had feared Noor would not even be charged The family has received support and condolences from people around the world

Justine Ruszczyk was shot dead by Noor in July 2017 after she had called the police to report a possible assault of a woman in an alley behind her Minneapolis house.

In court, Noor had offered an apology to the family for Justine's death.

"The apology is inappropriate. It doesn't bring back my daughter," John Ruszczyk told 7.30.

"I don't want him to spend too much time in jail if my daughter is around, but my daughter is not around.

"So under those circumstances, he has to pay a penalty."

Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor listens to victim impact statements during his sentencing hearing. ( AP, Leila Navidi/Star Tribune )

Speaking publicly for the first time since Noor was sentenced to 12-and-a-half years for third degree murder and manslaughter, Mr Ruszczyk said the family was satisfied with the outcome.

"We were happy that he received the maximum penalty because it showed that the court was paying attention to what the prosecutors had presented, and what the jury had listened to," he said.

They had been worried that Noor may have not even been charged.

"We realised there is a significant percentage of the US population who believe that the police can do no wrong, that the police are there to protect us and whatever they have to do to protect us, they should be allowed to do that," he said.

"And if there's collateral damage, meaning innocent civilians like Justine, if from time to time somebody like that is a victim of a criminal act by the police, that should be ignored, and should not be prosecuted."

'This would not have happened in Australia'

John Ruszczyk has spoken publicly for the first time since Mohamed Noor's sentencing. ( ABC News: Jerry Rickard )

Mr Ruszczyk could barely speak in the weeks after the murder, but during their darkest days, the family received support and condolences from people around the world, many of them strangers.

"It calmed us down," Mr Ruszczyk said.

"It gave us an umbrella. That stopped the rain from coming down on us."

He recounted one incident involving his partner Maryan Heffernan while she was volunteering at a local charity on Sydney's northern beaches several months after the murder.

A police car pulled up outside the shop and two plain-clothed detectives got out, with guns exposed.

"Maryan gasped and she told me she almost ran away," Mr Ruszczyk said.

"And one of her colleagues had to go and comfort her and calm her down."

Before bringing Maryan back to the shop, the colleague had explained to the officers who Maryan was and what she had just experienced.

"When she came back, the officers were standing there and they had their hands up," Mr Ruszczyk said.

"And they said, Maryan, our guns are in the car.

"They said, we can assure you this would not have happened in Australia.

"We are not trained like that, we would not have shot out of the car, we would not have shot across our partner.

"We would not have shot at an individual who was not a threat."

'I'm a better person because of Justine'

Justine Ruszczyk with her fiance Don Damond and his son Zach. ( Facebook: Don Miller Damond )

Mr Ruszczyk also revealed that three former prime ministers had phoned him to offer support.

"The then-current prime minister Malcolm Turnbull … called. I spoke with him," he said.

"John Howard made himself available. I spoke with John Howard.

"And Tony Abbott, who was our local member up there, he made himself available. He said anything I can do, John, to make sure that the Fed is taking care of you, let me know.

"As far as I know, I didn't get a call from the President of the United States."

But the family did receive tremendous support and numerous acts of kindness from individuals in the US.

When they first arrived in Minneapolis just after Justine's death, family and friends gathered for lunch at a local pub.

"Justine's name was on everyone's lips, and someone tapped me on the shoulder," Mr Ruszczyk said.

"And it was one of the waitstaff, a young man, and he said, 'are you Justine's dad?'

"I said, yes.

"He said, 'well, I knew Justine and Justine helped me. I was in a bad spot and she helped me get out of that spot. And I'm a better person because of her'."

The young man spoke to others at the table and then he left.

But there was a surprise when the family went to pay the bill.

"They said, it's all been taken care of," Mr Ruszczyk said.

"This young man had taken care of it. He said 'it was on me, for Justine'.

"It was a gracious and kind act which was totally unexpected. He did it because of Justine."