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Justine Damond's family awarded record $28 million payout for her murder

Australian Associated Press

A US judge has approved the record $US20 million ($A28.7 million) payout to the family and lawyers of murdered Australian life coach Justine Ruszczyk Damond.

Ms Damond’s brother will receive $US5.7 million ($A8.2 million) and her father $US5 million ($A7.12 million) after the 40-year-old was shot dead by Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor.

The Australian woman was killed in 2017 after she called 911 to report a possible rape in an alley behind her home.

A Linkedin image obtained Monday, July 17, 2017 of Justine Damond. A former Sydney woman has been shot and killed in Minneapolis by US police, who did not have their body cameras turned on at the time. (AAP Image/Linkedin) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
Justine Damond was shot and killed in Minneapolis by a police officer in 2017. Source: AAP

Noor was found guilty in a Minneapolis court in April of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 12.5-years' prison.

The family had filed a $US50 million ($A71.8 million) civil lawsuit last year.

Just days after Noor was found guilty by the jury in the criminal trial, the city of Minneapolis agreed to pay the Damond family $US20 million ($A28.7 million).

John Ruszczyk (second left), the father of Australian woman Justine Damond Ruszczyk, accompanied by his wife Marian Hefferen (left), Jason Ruszczyk (second right) and his wife Katarina, read a statement in front of the media in Sydney, Thursday, December 21, 2017. Justine Damond's father is worried the US prosecutor investigating her death believes the initial investigation was not done accurately or thoroughly enough. Justine was killed by a US police officer in Minneapolis in July this year. (AAP Image/Daniel Munoz) NO ARCHIVING
John Ruszczyk (second left), the father of Australian woman Justine Damond Ruszczyk, accompanied by his wife Marian Hefferen (left), Jason Ruszczyk (second right) and his wife Katarina. Source: AAP

Minneapolis District court Judge Mary Vasaly on Tuesday approved the settlement to Ms Damond's brother Jason Ruszczyk and father John Ruszczyk.

Ms Damond's fiance Don Damond will also receive $US1 million ($A1.4 million).

John Ruszczyk told the court although Mr Damond was not legally next-of-kin the family wanted him to receive some of the settlement.

Don Damond is comforted by his son Zach Damond before making a statement to the press near his home after Minneapolis police officer shot and killed his fiance Justine, Monday, July 17, 2017 in Minneapolis, Minn. Relatives and neighbors of the Australian woman who was fatally shot by Minneapolis police over the weekend demanded answers about the mysterious shooting in which the meditation teacher and bride-to-be was reportedly killed by a bullet fired through a squad-car door. (Elizabeth Flores/Star Tribune via AP)
Justine Damond's partner Don Damond is comforted by his son Zach Damond. Source: AP

The couple was set to marry in a ceremony in Hawaii just weeks after the shooting and his devastation at losing his future wife was evident when he testified at the trial.

The family's Minneapolis lawyer, Robert Bennett, will receive $US4.9 million ($A7 million) in legal fees and two other lawyers will pocket $US700,000 each ($A1 million).

The Minneapolis Foundation will also receive $US2 million ($A2.9 million) in an initiative aimed at ending gun violence.

Mohamed Noor walks to the podium to be sentenced. Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor is sentenced by Judge Kathryn Quaintance in the fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond in Hennepin County District Court in Minneapolis Friday, June 7, 2019. (AAP Image/Minneapolis Star-Tribune POOL, Leila Navidi) NO ARCHIVING
Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor is sentenced by Judge Kathryn Quaintance in the fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond. Source: AAP

Ms Damond, originally from Sydney's northern beaches, moved to Minneapolis after falling in love with Mr Damond after they met at a Colorado retreat.

She was setting up her business in Minneapolis so took his surname before the wedding.

Ms Damond was home alone late on the evening of July 15, 2017 when she heard a woman's screams behind her home.

FILE - In this Aug. 11, 2017, file photo, Johanna Morrow plays the didgeridoo during a memorial service for Justine Ruszczyk Damond at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. The city of Minneapolis is paying $20 million to settle a lawsuit over former police officer Mohamed Noor's fatal shooting of the unarmed Damond who approached his squad car after calling 911 to report a possible crime. Mayor Jacob Frey announced the settlement Friday, May 3, 2019, three days after a jury convicted Noor of murder and manslaughter in the 2017 death of Damond. Frey called the settlement "a way for our city to move forward." (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP, File)
The city of Minneapolis is paying $20 million to settle a lawsuit over former police officer Mohamed Noor's fatal shooting of Justine Damond who approached his squad car after calling 911 to report a possible crime. Source: Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP

When Noor's police vehicle arrived in the alley Ms Damond approached.

Noor said he feared an ambush and made a split-second decision to shoot across his partner in the front seat and out the driver's side window, fatally hitting Ms Damond, who was wearing a pink t-shirt and pyjama pants.

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