Police chief: Australian Justine Damond 'didn't have to die'

An Australian woman shot dead by a police officer in the US "didn't have to die", the chief of the Minneapolis police department has said.

Justine Damond, 40, had called police to report a possible sexual assault in her neighbourhood just before midnight on Saturday.

She died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen, from a bullet fired by police office Mohamed Noor as she approached the responding police car while dressed in her pyjamas.

Her death has been met with shock and anger in the US and in Australia, where Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described it as "inexplicable".

Speaking to reporters for the first time since the incident, Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau apologised to Ms Damond's fiance Don for his loss.

She said: "Based on the publicly released information from the BCA (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension), this should not have happened.

"On our squad cars you will find the words: To protect with courage and serve with compassion.

"This did not happen.

"Having the information that is publicly available right now, while recognising there is an open BCA investigation, I believe the actions in question go against who we are as a department, how we train, and the expectations we have for our officers."

She said that Noor's actions were those of "one individual" and that he and his partner should have had their body cameras switched on.

The department is looking at technology whereby the cameras could switch on automatically, she added.

Her words come just hours after it was confirmed that the Damond family has hired lawyer Bob Bennett.

Mr Bennett reached a settlement of nearly $3m for the family of Philando Castile, a black man killed by police during a traffic stop.

Mr Bennett told Reuters that the family want to wait until the incident has been investigated before deciding whether to launch a civil lawsuit.

He added: "Usually people who call the police in their pyjamas are not ambushers, especially spiritual healers and pacifists."

Ms Damond, while trained as a vet, worked in the US as a life coach and meditation teacher.

"You shouldn't shoot unarmed people who call the cops," he added.

Noor has refused to be interviewed by investigators at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is within his rights.

But a statement released through his lawyer passed on his condolences to Ms Damond's family.

He did not give any details about the shooting, however.

Ms Damond's death is the third at the hands of Minnesota police in less than two years.