This jury will determine the fate of Justine Ruszczyk Damond’s killer Mohamed Noor

Ten men and two women will decide whether Justine Ruszczyk Damond’s killer will be jailed as they spend another day trying to reach a unanimous verdict.

Mohamed Noor’s fate will be decided by a jury of ten men and two women of varying backgrounds, ages and ethnicities.

He faces second and third degree murder charges, as well as a third degree manslaughter charge. What’s not disputed is the fact that he shot dead unarmed Australian woman Justine Ruszczyk Damond, 40, when she called 911 for help, late on a warm summer Saturday night in July 2017.

Justine Damond was shot dead by police. Picture: Supplied

The jury has been tasked with determining the level of intent and recklessness he displayed in firing his Glock service revolver past the chest of his partner, Officer Matthew Harrity, who was driving their squad car, at Damond.

Their options range from not guilty to guilty of one or any of the charges.

As a police officer, Noor was authorised to use deadly force if there was an apparent imminent threat of grievous harm or death, and the jury will decide whether his defence has successfully argued that the “totality of circumstances” — which included Noor seeing Damond raise her arm as she approached his squad car, coupled with a loud noise variously described as a thump or slap — met this benchmark.

Mugshots of Mohammed Noor. Picture: AFP

They need to reach a unanimous verdict and have been sequestered in an unidentified Minneapolis location until they do so.

If father-of-one Noor, 33, is found guilty of “murder two”, the highest charge, he could spend up to 25 years in jail.

Because of the overwhelming public interest in the case, which has drawn national and international attention and sparked leadership and policy change in the city of Minneapolis, Henepin County Court Judge Kathryn Quaintance sealed the identities of the jurors, saying she was doing it for their own protection.

Judge Kathryn Quaintance. Picture: Angus Mordant

The jurors are therefore identified by number, and they include:

1: A grocery store worker whose father was a police officer. A white man, aged in his 20s, he told the court during jury selection that he recognised Noor and was aware of the case from media reports.

2: A Native American man aged in his 40s or 50s, the second juror chosen is a civil engineer. He said during jury selection that he would listen to every witness and give them fair consideration, but he had indicated on his pre-trial questionnaire that he would lean towards giving police more credibility because that was how he had been raised. He was also aware of the case.

3: Aged in his 50s, this bearded white man has shoulder length grey hair and identified himself as a writer.

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

4: One of the most highly educated members of the jury and one of only two women remaining after four alternates, including another two women, were released from jury duty at the conclusion of evidence in the month-long trial. Aged in her 30s or 40s, she works as a gynaecologist and identifies as a woman of colour. She was aware of the case before the trial.

5: Aged in his 20s, this Filipino immigrant works in a restaurant and said his first experience with race issues was when he moved to the US and that he had not encountered them in Asia. He said he didn’t know much about the case but had seen Facebook videos about it.

6: This young man emigrated from Ethiopia in 2000. He works as a surgical assistant in a hospital and did not face many questions in jury selection, but he did touch on his work dealing with communication issues.

Don Damond arrives at the Hennepin County Government Center comforted by a Justine Damond’s father John Ruszczyk, left, and fiance, Don Damond, have appeared at every day of Mohamed Noor’s trial. Picture: Angus Mordant

7: The seventh juror selected is a 21-year-old paramedic and firefighter who said during questioning that he didn’t recognise any names on the potential witness list but would potentially know their faces as they were all first responders. He said he would have no trouble judging the actions of a police officer because people were responsible for their own actions.

8: Aged in his 40s, this male immigration officer said in questioning that he has daily dealings with different nationalities, including those from Somalia, from where Noor emigrated as a child.

9: A white man in his 30s, juror nine works for an investment firm and did not know much about the case when asked about it during jury selection. A former New Yorker, he has been a prolific note taker who finished the trial with a stack of notepads.

Betsy Custis, right, and others attend a march in honour of Justine Damond at Beard's Plaissance Park, in Minneapolis. Picture: AP

10: This burly white man in his late 40s is a Navy veteran with extensive firearms experience and works for a Minnesota power company.

11: This is not the first time this white male juror aged in his 40s has served on a jury. He said he has been trained to defuse stressful situations and worked in the past with special needs patients.

12: The final juror and second woman is also a person of colour who emigrated from Pakistan. Aged in her 40s, she said in questioning that she had not ever heard of the case before she was called up for jury duty. She had initially raised childcare concerns as a potential impediment to being able to serve for a month at the trial.

Originally published as This jury will determine the fate of Justine Ruszczyk Damond’s killer Mohamed Noor