Justine Ruszczyk Damond remembered in sunrise memorial one year after she was shot dead in US

Family and friends have gathered at sunrise to remember Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who was shot in a US alley by a Minneapolis police officer a year ago.

Holding pink flowers, dozens of people huddled around a large candlelit heart on the sand at Freshwater Beach, near Manly, on Sunday to remember the 40-year-old former Sydneysider.

Ms Damond was shot on the night of July 15 last year after she called 911 to report hearing a woman’s screams.

Dozens gathered to pay respect to Ms Damond on the one year anniversary of her death

 Ms Damond’s fiance and friends held a similar vigil in Minneapolis

Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was in a squad car’s passenger seat when he shot Damond through the driver’s side window after she approached the vehicle. 

She was given CPR by the officers but died at the scene.

Noor was charged by prosecutors in March with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. 

Ms Damond’s fiance and friends held a similar vigil in Minneapolis.

Justine (pictured, left, with her fiance Don) was unarmed and had called 911 to alert police to what she believed may have been a rape taking place in the alley behind her home

Her father John Ruszczyk (pictured) spoke at the vigil, saying he was waiting for justice

Her father John Ruszczyk spoke briefly on Sunday, saying he was waiting for justice.

‘On the way to the beach this morning, the kookaburras were laughing,’ he told Sydney 7News.

‘When we got here we experienced this beautiful sunrise and Justine, because of her senseless killing, will never see the sunrise or hear the kookaburras again.’

‘Our communities here at Freshwater and Minneapolis are waiting for judgments.’