This was published 5 years ago
Family of black man shot by police demands payout equal to Damond's
By Peter Mitchell
Los Angeles: The family of an African American man shot dead by Minneapolis police are demanding a $US20 million ($A29 million) payout equal to what the family of Australian life coach Justine Ruszczyk-Damond received.
Jamar Clark, who was fatally shot in a confrontation with police in 2015.Credit: AP
Jamar Clark's father said Damond and her family were treated differently because they are white.
"There's no justice for black people," James Clark told a rally outside Minneapolis' federal courthouse.
"White people get all the justice".
Jamar Clark, 24, was shot in 2015 during a scuffle with two white Minneapolis police officers.
Justine Damond died after an encounter with Minneapolis police outside her home.Credit: AP
The police officers were not charged.
Damond, 40, originally from Sydney's northern beaches, was shot dead by Somali-American police officer Mohamed Noor after she called emergency services in 2017 to report a woman screaming in an alley behind her Minneapolis home.
A jury found Noor guilty last month of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and he faces a 12.5-year prison term when sentenced on June 7.
Damond's father John Ruszczyk and brother Jason filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis last year and just days after the jury's guilty verdict the city agreed to pay the family a record $US20 million.
Mohamed Noor, the police officer who shot Damond.Credit: AP
Clark's family filed a civil lawsuit in 2017 against the city but the parties have not come to an agreement.
Settlement talks continue.
"We want Jamar Clark's family to get a settlement equal to what Justine's family got," Angel Smith El, a member of the Twin Cities Coalition 4 Jamar, said.
"If Justine's life is worth $US20 million so is Jamar's."
AAP