JUSTINE Damond’s fiance has broken down as he embraced those involved in a march through the streets of Minneapolis, including the mother of a man shot dead by police.

Don Damond hugged a number of those involved in the march through their south Minneapolis neighbourhood where Ms Damond was shot dead by police officer Mohamed Noor.

Among those who consoled Mr Damond was Valerie Castile, whose son Philando Castile was gunned down by police in the city last year.

The hundreds-strong procession grew as people left their houses to join in or sat on lawns and footpaths to watch.

The march stopped outside the Damond family home, where Ms Castile and Mr Damond embraced.

media_camera Hundreds march from the site of Justine Damond's shooting to Beard's Plaissance Park in Minneapolis. Picture: AP

media_camera Don Damond thanks the crowd at the peace march. Picture: Chris Juhn

media_camera Hundreds gathered in the Minneapolis neighbourhood of Justine Damond to demand justice for Justine as well as several others shot to death by police over the past few years. Photo by Esther Benenson

media_camera Don Damond, the fiance of Justine Damond, is comforted outside his home by Valerie Castile, the mother of Philando Castile. Picture: AP

media_camera Hundreds gathered in the Minneapolis neighbourhood of Justine Damond to demand justice for Justine as well as several others shot to death by police over the past few years. Picture: Esther Benenson

Pastor Ashley Harness opened the march by asking those involved to look at their feet and “honour the Earth’s original caretakers of this stolen land.”

Marchers yelled out: “No justice, no peace, prosecute the police”, a chant that became common during protests against Mr Castile’s killing.

media_camera Sarah Kuhnen, a neighbour of Justine Damond, speaks to the crowd. Picture: AP

media_camera Hundreds gathered in the Minneapolis neighbourhood of Justine Damond to demand justice. Picture: Esther Benenson

media_camera The marchers demanded ‘Justice for Justine’. Picture: AP

The march took place after Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau finally broke her silence on the fatal shooting.

Chief Harteau returned from leave today to address a press conference.

She said she has spoken to Justine’s fiance Don Damond about the night Officer Mohamed Noor shot the Australian life coach dead.

media_camera Hundreds demand justice for Justine as well as several others shot to death by police over the past few years. Picture: Esther Benenson

media_camera Marchers take to the streets for Justine Damond. Picture: AP

“We are talking about one individual’s action in question. ... I have assured the family of justice,” she said.

“There will be a criminal investigation but from what I have seen Justine did not have to die.

“I understand the impact that his has had on the community and cannot understand the impact this has had on Justine’s family.

media_camera Minneapolis police chief Janee Harteau. Picture: Channel 9

“Police are trained to protect and serve ... that did not happen.

“The actions in question go against who we are, how we train and expectations of us.”

Chief Harteau said she could not understand why the body cameras of the Officer Noor and his partner Matthew Harrity were not on.

Officer Noor has refused to talk to investigators, Chief Harteau urged him to speak.

“I would prefer he would talk there are questions that need to be answered and only he can answer them,” she said.

She defended criticism of her absence in the aftermath of the shooting saying she was on holiday hiking in a remote location.

Chief Harteau also says body cameras should have been on. Strong and damning words painting Mohamed Noor as entirely at fault #justinedamond — Sarah Blake (@sarahblakemedia) July 20, 2017

Chief asked whether Noor was an improperly qualified "diversity hire", also defending the pairing of junior partners - 1 & 2 years in force — Sarah Blake (@sarahblakemedia) July 20, 2017

Police were unable to find any evidence of the sexual assault #justinedamond reported on Saturday night — Sarah Blake (@sarahblakemedia) July 20, 2017

In a blog post Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges wrote the shooting should never have happened and was unimpressed at the lack of body camera footage from the incident.

“We have put too much time, money and effort into (body cameras) to have them fail us when we needed them most,” she wrote.

“That cannot happen again.”

“While the investigation is not yet complete, based on the facts publicly released on Tuesday night, the fatal shooting of Justine Damond should not have happened.

“The fact that we don’t have body camera footage of the shooting could be the result of one or more of the following: a gap in our body cams policy, a gap in training, a violation of our policy, or some combination of these things.

media_camera Mayor Betsy Hodges. Picture: AP

“I am confident I speak for everyone when I say it’s unacceptable that we don’t have this tool available to us in this case.

Mayor Hodges’ comments come as it was revealed the cop who shot Ms Damond dead, Mohamed Noor, is known in the townhouse complex where his large family lives as quick-tempered, “jumpy” and “extremely nervous”.

New insight into the character of the Minneapolis policeman emerged as investigators released transcripts of the two emergency calls Ms Damond made just before Noor shot her dead last Saturday night.

Noor, 31, is the oldest of Mohamed Abass and Rahmo Ali’s ten children and is a frequent presence at his parents’ modest white two-storey home, which they share with his four younger siblings and is just 2km from his apartment.

Forklift driver Chris Miller, 49, has lived next door for the past two years and said he wasn’t surprised to learn Noor was the policeman making international headlines for firing on Ms Damond after she called 911 about what she thought was a sexual assault in the alley behind her house.

media_camera Chris Miller, Noor’s neighbour, says he wasn’t surprised to hear the officer was responsible for the shooting. Picture: Jules Ameel

media_camera Miller says Noor “doesn’t really respect women”. Picture: City of Minneapolis via AP

“He is extremely nervous ... he is a little jumpy ... he doesn’t really respect women, the least thing you say to him can set him off,” Mr Miller said.

“When they say a policeman shot an Australian lady I thought uh, oh but then when they said who it was I was like, ‘OK.’”

He said Noor, who has refused to explain to investigators what led him to shoot dead bride-to-be Damond, was a strict and ill-tempered presence in the townhouse block, where children play together in a playground in a small park between the units.

“He got into it with the kids, they were outside playing and something got stuck in a tree and he came out and he just started yelling at the kids because they were out here playing,” Mr Miller said.

media_camera Mohamed Noor’s brother smokes a cigarette outside Noor's apartment in New Hope. Picture: Jules Ameel

“He has little respect for women he has little respect for blacks and kids,” said Mr Miller, who is African-American.

“He has an air like you just couldn’t really be around him.”

Noor’s partner, Officer Matt Harrity, told investigators from Minnesota’s Bureau of Crime Apprehension the 31 year old rookie cop shot Ms Damond as she approached their squad car just as a loud noise erupted.

While Noor has not spoken about the incident, his brother on Tuesday told News Corp Australia the shooting was an “unfortunate” accident.

“We feel so bad about this, we are traumatised ourselves. It’s so unfortunate,” a family member said.

The family of Mohammed Noor speaks out The family of Mohammed Noor speaks out

“If you wait for the investigation you’ll know it was an honest and sincere event that transpired. Until then we can’t really say anything.”

It looks increasingly likely Noor’s defence will be that he panicked and believed his squad car was attack after a loud noise — described by some sources as a banging on the car — and seeing a figure rushing in the dark towards them.

media_camera Justine Ruszczyk Damond with fiance Don Damond and his son, Zach Damond. Picture: Facebook

It comes as Women’s March Minnesota announced plans for a “healing and justice” walk for Damond at 7pm local time (10am AEST).

The walk will start where Damond was killed and end about a kilometre away. Participants are welcome to honour Damond by carrying “battery-operated candles.”

“It is with a great deal of conversation between the neighbours, family, and friends that a vision of a walk was created. We will unite as a community to seek healing, Justice for Justine, and justice for ALL others that died at the hands of the police,” the Facebook page read.

media_camera Nancy Coune, administrator of the Lake Harriet Spiritual Community centre, places flowers and signs memorialising Justine Damond in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Picture: AFP media_camera Family and friends gather on Freshwater Beach following a candlelight vigil, where they threw hundreds of pink flowers into the ocean for Justine Damond, Sydney. Picture: AAP

On Thursday, Officer Harrity’s lawyer described their fear of being attacked as “reasonable” given a spate of recent cop killings.

Mr Noor’s gun was on his lap — and not in his holster — at the time on the incident.

But claims of an ambush yesterday infuriated Ms Damond’s family, whose newly hired high-profile lawyer told US television they “have no basis in fact” and were “ludicrous”.

Lawyer Robert Bennett told CBS that Ms Damond’s family does not want Officer Noor to stay in the force and they are considering a civil lawsuit over her death.

“This is an unbelievable situation,” Mr Bennett told CBS yesterday.

“The person who called 911 was shot in her pyjamas.

“Justine obviously wasn’t armed and there wasn’t any reason she should have been perceived to be.

Mr Bennett hit out at claims the police officers involved feared an ambush.

The 911 transcripts released yesterday show Ms Damond was motivated to help until her last moments.

In the first call at 11.27pm Saturday, she said she feared someone was being raped behind her house in south Minneapolis. Eight minutes later she called again to make sure police were coming.

“Hi, I can hear someone out the back and I’m not sure she’s having sex or being raped,” Ms Damond said at the start of the call, at 11.35pm.

“I think she just yelled out ‘help’, but it’s difficult; the sound has been going on for a while, but I think, I don’t think she’s enjoying it.”

media_camera Justine Damond was shot by Noor after dialling 911. Picture: Stephen Govel/www.stephengovel.com via AP

Four minutes later, the police officers arrived and radioed dispatch to report a “Code 4”, meaning the situation is under control.

But at 11:41pm they called again to report the shooting and call for help. They performed CPR but Ms Damond could not be revived.

Ms Damond’s family in Australia yesterday said they were focused on giving her a fitting farewell.

Justine Damond opens up on tough times in presentation Justine Damond opens up on tough times in presentation

“We are still trying to come to terms with this tragedy and we are struggling to understand how and why this could happen. These are very early days and the family, in Australia and in the USA are devastated by our loss,” the Ruszczyk Family said in a statement.

“We are in constant contact with the Australian Government, and representatives of the US Government and Minnesota State authorities. We want to see the investigation come to a conclusion, as soon as possible, so we have some resolution to the tragedy.

“All we want to do is bring Justine home to Australia to farewell her in her hometown among family and friends.”