Justine Damond: Australian woman shot dead by US officer 'did not have to die', says police chief

Janee Harteau says incident goes 'against who we are in the department'

The Australian woman who was shot by an officer after calling 911 "did not have to die", the Minneapolis police chief has said.

Janee Harteau made her first remarks about the death of 40-year-old Justine Damond last Saturday. She had been out of town on a personal trip.

Ms Harteau says the actions of Officer Mohamed Noor, who shot Damond, "go against who we are in the department" and against how officers are trained.

Mr Noor's partner told state investigators this week that the shooting occurred moments after a loud sound was heard near their squad car. Both officers are on paid administrative leave.

Attorney Bob Bennett, who represented the family of black motorist Philando Castile, said he is representing Ms Damond's family. Castille was fatally shot by a suburban officer last year.

Police earlier released transcripts of 911 calls that led to Ms Damond being shot dead after reporting a suspected rape near her home in the US.

Ms Damond made two emergency calls in which said she could hear a "distressed" woman calling for help in an alley behind her house in Minneapolis.

The 40-year-old meditation coach was shot and killed minutes later by an officer responding to her report.

In her first call, made at 11.27pm on 15 July, she tells the control room: "I can hear someone out the back and I’m not sure if she’s having sex or being raped.

"I think she just yelled out 'help', but it’s difficult. The sound has been going on for a while, but I think, I don’t think she’s enjoying it."

She adds: "It sounds like sex noises, but it’s been going on for a while and I think she tried to say help and it sounds distressed."

The call ends after the operator tells Ms Damond an officer has been dispatched.

Eight minutes later she calls back to say police had not yet arrived, and "wondering if they got the wrong address". The operator assures her officers are on their way.

Moments later Ms Damond was shot dead in her pyjamas by officer Mohamed Noor as she approached the driver's side window of his police car.