After high-profile verdict, Minnesota prosecutor takes leave

MINNEAPOLIS – More than a week after his office got a murder conviction in the high-profile case of a Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced he’s taking a medical leave.

Freeman says in a statement Friday that after a physical exam, his doctor and others suggested he needs time away from the high stress of running the office in order to restore his physical well-being. His leave will last several weeks.

Freeman says he expects to return “stronger and sharper.”

Last week, Hennepin County jurors convicted Mohamed Noor of murder in the 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia who had called 911 to report a possible crime. The case garnered international attention.