US police officer Mohamed Noor is maintaining his silence amid a suggestion that Australian woman Justine Damond may have "slapped" the car before she was shot.
A Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension search warrant, obtained by Minnesota Public Radio, doesn't specifically name Ms Damond.
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'Justine didn't have to die'
Minneapolis police chief Janee Harteau has dedicated her team towards getting justice for Justine Damond, stating she 'didn't have to die' after being shot and killed by a police officer responding to a 911 call.
But it says: "Upon police arrival, a female 'slaps' the back of the patrol squad ... After that, it is unknown to BCA agents what exactly happened, but the female became deceased in the alley."
Officer Mohamed Noor, who was in the passenger seat of a squad car, shot across his partner in the driver's seat and hit Ms Damond. His partner told authorities that he was startled by a loud noise shortly before Ms Damond appeared at the police vehicle.
The search warrant did not say whether the slap was the loud noise Mr Noor's partner described, the radio station reported.
Mr Noor's lawyer, Thomas Plunkett, has confirmed the besieged Somali-born policeman continues to exercise his legal right not to be interviewed by investigators probing Ms Damond's death.
Mr Noor also will not speak to the public or media about last week's shooting.
The release of his Minneapolis Police Department records showed he passed semi-automatic, handgun, shotgun and Taser qualifications and took a Super Bowl active shooter training course.
Mr Noor's silence comes as outrage boils in Australia and Minneapolis among Ms Damond's loved ones, the public and elected officials while the bureau conducts its independent investigation.
"The BCA's investigation is active and ongoing," a spokesperson said.
Ms Damond was shot in the stomach by Mr Noor on July 15 after she called 911 to report a woman screaming, possibly from a sexual assault, near her Minneapolis home.
Ms Damond appeared at Mr Noor's vehicle in an alley behind her home.
Minneapolis and its twin city of St Paul have been shaken by multiple police shootings and "overuse of force". The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota has demanded the entire police department undergo new use of force and de-escalation training.
The union is also urging new police chief Medaria Arradondo to immediately "implement a new body camera policy that mandates activation at the beginning of every interaction with members of the public".
Meanwhile, official-looking metal signs have been anonymously erected around Minneapolis, stating: "Warning: Twin Cities police easily startled."
The signs feature a policeman shooting a gun in each hand.
Minnesota has the largest number of Somali and East African expatriates in the United States.
Somali-born Minneapolis City Council Member Abdi Warsame told reporters that Somali-American police officers were "afraid" after community and online anger flared in response to Ms Damond's shooting.
AAP, AP