The family of Australian woman Justine Damond may launch a significant law suit against the City of Minneapolis after the unarmed spiritual healer became victim to America's ongoing police shootings.
As crucial details of the emergency call Ms Damond made in the minutes before her death emerged on Thursday, it was revealed her grief-stricken family had hired high-profile American lawyer Robert Bennett.
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Mr Bennett represented the family of Minnesota man Philando Castile after he was gunned down by a policeman last year,
Ms Damond, originally from Sydney, called 911 from her Minneapolis home on Saturday night to report what she thought was a sexual assault happening in an alleyway nearby.
![Justine Damond was troubled by the culture of violence in the US, said her friend Letta Page.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170724053612im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/d/4/7/b/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxfe97.png/1500803492431.jpg)
Dressed in her pyjamas, Ms Damond, 40, went outside to investigate when she was shot dead by rookie cop Mohamed Noor.
As outrage over the shooting of the much-loved meditation and yoga coach continued, Mr Bennett flagged a looming lawsuit to bring awareness to rampant police shootings targeting innocent people.
"We have to stop it here," Mr Bennett told AAP.
"This can be the clarion call."
![Justine's parents Maryan Heffernan, and John Ruszczyk, right, with their son Jason Ruszczyk and his wife Katarina ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20170724053612im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/e/2/w/i/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxfe97.png/1500635722711.jpg)
A lawsuit involving "significant potential civil damages" is how "you make them sit up and take notice", the lawyer said.
Mr Bennett said the common thread in police shooting cases he was involved in was a "panicky officer".
![Heartbroken: Justine Damond's brother, Jason Ruszczyk with his wife, Katarina Ruszczyk, at the water's edge at ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20170724053612im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/d/z/p/w/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxfe97.png/1500635722481.jpg)
"The officer who sees things that aren't there and is afraid of things that go bump in the night," Mr Bennett said.
"Justine was not a threatening appearing person."
![Don Damond was comforted by friends after his fiancee, Justine Damond, was shot by police.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170724053612im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/d/7/v/f/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxfe97.png/1500863287499.jpg)
In a statement on Thursday, Sydney time, Ms Damond's family said they wanted to see a conclusion to the investigation "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," the Ruszczyk family, based on the northern beaches, said.
![Parents of Justine Damond, Maryan Heffernan (centre left, white top, jeans) and John Ruszczyk (centre right, black coat, ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20170724053612im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/e/2/w/a/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxfe97.png/1500561826662.jpg)
"In the meantime, we ask that you give us time to grieve in private and to support each other at this very difficult time."
The statement came as further details were revealed about the 911 call that brought police to Ms Damond's neighbourhood.
![A witness in the shooting of Justine Damond has come forward.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170724053612im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/c/j/g/4/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gxfe97.png/1500754665677.jpg)
Operator: 911, what's the address of the emergency?
Damond: Hi, I'm, I can hear someone out the back and I, I'm not sure if she's having sex or being raped.
![Police officer Mohamed Noor has been named as the one who fired at Justine Damond.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170724053612im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/d/y/g/6/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gxfe97.png/1500803492657.jpg)
Ms Damond tells the operator in the call at 11.37pm that she thought she heard the woman yell out "help".
Operator: OK, well I already got a call started and help on the way. Uh, you can't see anything, you're just hearing a female screaming then, is that what you're saying?
Damond: Yeah. It sounds like sex noises, but it's been going on for a while and I think she tried to say 'help' and it sounds distressed.
About eight minutes later, Ms Damond called 911 again to confirm police had the address, in the Minneapolis suburb of Fulton, correct.
The operator assured her that a squad car was on its way.
Uncertainty still surrounds much of what happened next.
But what is clear is that Officer Noor, seated in the passenger seat, fired his weapon across his offsider Matthew Harrity, and at Ms Damond.
Ms Damond, carrying only her mobile phone, was hit in the stomach and died about 20 minutes later.
Officer Noor is refusing to be interviewed by investigators. However by Officer Harrity's account, excerpts of which were released on Tuesday, a loud bang occurred before Ms Damond approached the driver's side window of the car.
On Officer Harrity's account, Officer Noor, in the passenger seat, then raised a gun he had been cradling in his lap, and fired through the window.
Officer Harrity's lawyer, Fred Bruno, told the Minneapolis StarTribune it was reasonable to assume any police officer would be concerned about being ambushed.
"It was only a few weeks ago when a female NYPD cop and mother of twins was executed in her car in a very similar scenario," Mr Bruno said.
It was a claim the lawyer for Ms Damond's grieving family labelled "ludicrous".
"You are ambushed by a person who called 911 who is a blonde woman in her pyjamas, for crying out loud?" Mr Bennett said.
with AAP