Australian woman Damond was shot by a police officer near her Minnesota home after she reported a possible crime

A Minnesota prosecutor who publicly criticised agents investigating the death of Australian woman Justine Damond, who was fatally shot by a police officer, has apologised for discussing the agency’s work in a public setting.

Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman issued both written and videotaped statements on Monday apologising to the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating the July shooting.

He said he did not know he was being recorded when he spoke critically of investigators, but “nonetheless, my comments, under any circumstances, were ill advised and I am sorry”.

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Last week Freeman was at a union holiday reception when he was asked about a charging decision against the officer, Mohamed Noor. Freeman expressed frustration, saying he did not have enough evidence yet to charge the officer. He said it was not his fault and investigators “haven’t done their job”. He also suggested Noor’s refusal to speak to investigators had put prosecutors in a difficult position.



“I have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt [that] the moment he shot the gun, he feared for his life. And he used force because he thought he was going to be killed,” Freeman said last week. “But I can’t. He won’t answer my questions because he doesn’t have to, OK?”

Freeman did not say on Monday whether he stood by the comment that investigators were not doing their job or whether it was inaccurate.

He said investigators had been working nonstop to gather evidence and follow every lead to resolve the case, but police cases were complex and demanded the most thorough investigations possible.

“While some clamour for swift justice, only careful, detailed work and careful analysis brings us real justice,” he said on Monday. “That is what this case deserves and that is what it will get.”

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Freeman said it was his responsibility to talk to constituents who asked him what he was doing, so he did so when he was approached. But he admitted it was wrong to discuss the investigators’ work. He said he had also personally apologised to the Department of Public Safety commissioner.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension declined to comment on Monday, but has said it has been working with Freeman’s office from the beginning and would continue to do so. The BCA said it investigated most shootings involving police in Minnesota “because of our thorough and professional approach to ensuring the integrity of an investigation”.

According to authorities, Noor shot Damond in the alley behind her home in July after she had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault. As she approached the squad car, Noor fired from the passenger seat, across his partner and through the driver’s window.

Damond’s death sparked protests and led to a police department shake-up, including the resignation of police chief Janee Harteau.

Freeman had said previously he wanted to have a charging decision by the end of the year. He said on Monday he would release more information next week.