Justice delayed - is Justice Denied !

A thousand people gathered on the shores of Lake Harriet in the city of Minneapolis in the American state of Minnesota to farewell an Australian woman who met her death as a result of an act of charity in that city.   Justine Damond heard cries for help that she thought sounded like someone being raped coming from an alley behind her house on July 15.   She rang the police emergency number and waited for the arrival of a patrol car.  She went outside dressed in her pyjamas to speak to the officers, and when she approached the car one of the police inexplicitly fired his weapon and killed her.

This was a rookie cop who happened to be the first Somali Muslim from a refugee background to be recruited and trained to become an active member of the Minneapolis police force.  The killing immediately sparked an investigation and the cop was suspended and sent on paid leave.  For a day or so the killing was a feature on the world news and many people were angered to learn that the man responsible was refusing to be interviewed and refusing to make any sort of statement to explain his action.  It seems that he was exercising his right under American law.

Almost a month has passed and little has changed.  That city's police chief has been dismissed from her job, but still no charge has been brought to have the killer face a court and answer for his action. The matter is still being " investigated " and many people feel that the might of the combined police union in America is being brought to stop the investigation reaching a conclusion that might see a cop face a criminal charge.

What is also astonishing is the silence from the " Black lives matter " people.   Had this been a black woman shot by a white policeman crowds would have been rioting in the streets and civil disorder would have gone on for days.  It seems that the reaction to a police shooting is conditional on what colour skin is involved.  When the colour is white - the outrage is muted.

It seems that America is a dangerous place to have any sort of contact with the police.   So far this year 540 people have died from a police bullet somewhere within that country and since the night  Justine died seventy more citizens have been killed by police gunfire.

Past history is not encouraging.   Even where police action is highly questionable it is rare for the cop responsible to face a judge and jury.  Usually that decision rests with a grand jury to decide the merit of the case and often the matter is moved to a remote district where the group empanelled will be both conservative and white.

Justine's father and fiancée have called for this matter to be expedited.  It has certainly attracted great interest here in Australia, but on the basis of similar cases the investigation will pass through many hands without reaching a conclusion, or the culprit will face the lesser charge of " negligence in handling a firearm " and given a mere slap on the wrist.

Justice delayed - is justice denied !