Lou Raguse

KARE

MINNEAPOLIS — Amid the calls for justice for the Australian woman killed by a Minneapolis police officer, a Somali leader in the community claims there also has been racist blowback against their community.

"We have a tragedy at hand, and we have a community that's frightened. That's what I want to highlight and that's the reason we're here," said Minneapolis City Councilman Abdi Warsame.

Officer Mohamed Noor, who pulled the trigger and killed Justine Damond, is Somali-American. Damond was white.

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Noor, who has received recognition from the city's mayor, also has two open complaints against him.

Warsame is calling for an end to racism and Islamaphobia that he said has targeted their community since the July 15 shooting — mostly through online and social media comments.

But he specifically called out former U.S. representative Michele Bachmann, for insinuating in a speech last week that Noor may have shot Damond for "cultural reasons." The former Republican congresswoman and one-time presidential candidate, represented Minnesota's 6th District.

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"But when you have someone like Congresswoman Bachman say this was done because he was a Muslim. I mean, I think that's unacceptable," Warsame said.

Nearly a week after the shooting, Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau said the shooting should not have happened. On Friday, she resigned.

After Harteau's resignation, Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges turned to a veteran city cop to help lead the police department.

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Hodges named Assistant Chief Medaria Arradondo, who is a 28-year veteran of the force from a fifth generation African-American Minnesota family.

Meanwhile, the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is nearing the end of its investigation after investigators found and interviewed a bicyclist who stopped and watched officers perform CPR on Damond.

The bureau will then turn the case over to the Hennepin County Attorney to decide whether to charge Noor.

Noor hasn't spoken to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. His attorney hasn't indicated whether he plans to. In a statement, Noor's family implied the shooting was a tragic mistake.

Arradondo has not granted an interview since he was named interim police chief.

The city council will have to approve Arradondo before he can take the title permanently.

Contributing: Aamer Madhani and John Bacon, USA TODAY; Gordon Severson and Dana Thiede, KARE-TV, Minneapolis-St. Paul. Follow Lou Raguse on Twitter: @LouRaguse

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