The record $20 million settlement the city of Minneapolis paid to the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who was killed by a police officer, will be distributed among immediate family members, her fiancé and the attorneys.
The disbursement approved Monday by Hennepin County District Judge Mary Vasaly approves a plan that was proposed by Damond's father, John Ruszczyk.
According to court documents: Damond's father will receive $5 million, her brother, Jason Ruszczyk, will receive $5.7 million and her fiancé, Don Damond, will receive $1 million.
The Minneapolis Foundation will receive $2 million in the name of "Justine Maia Ruszczyk" for the Safe Communities initiative aimed at ending gun violence.
The family's attorney, Robert Bennett, will receive $4.9 million in attorneys' fees, and two other attorneys who assisted them will receive $700,000 each.
Damond was using her fiancé's last name professionally. She and Don Damond had planned to marry in Hawaii on Aug. 17, 2017, but she was fatally shot by former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor on July 15, 2017.
"I believe that the $20,000,000 settlement is extraordinary given the difficulty of these types of cases and the past settlements obtained in similar cases in Minnesota," John Ruszczyk wrote in his proposal for how the money would be divided.
Jurors convicted Noor in April of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for shooting Damond while responding to her 911 call about a possible sexual assault behind her south Minneapolis home.
Noor, 33, was sentenced this month to 12½ years in prison.
Ruszczyk wrote that in addition to Damond's immediate surviving next-of-kin — himself, her brother, an 8-year-old nephew and a 5-year-old niece, all living in Australia — he wanted to give some money to Don Damond even though he is not legally considered next-of-kin.
"We all know Justine's feelings about Don and their future together," Ruszczyk wrote. "He was listed as a matter of morality."
Don Damond testified at trial and at Noor's sentencing, sharing the story of how he and Damond met at a meditation retreat in Colorado, courted long distance after she returned to Australia and later decided to marry and planned to have a child together.
Chao Xiong • 612-270-4708 Twitter: @ChaoStrib
