The final words of Justine Damond have been revealed as the police officer charged with the unarmed Australian woman’s murder was taken into custody.

Minneapolis policeman Mohamed Noor handed himself in Wednesday morning (AEDT) after a warrant was issued for his arrest. 

Noor shot Ms Damond, a 40-year-old life coach, on July 15, minutes after she called to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home.

She died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen before paramedics arrived.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman outlined the case against  Noor in a media conference after his arrest.

“We have a second-by-second understanding of what happened,” Mr Freeman said.

He revealed that after Noor shot her, Ms Damond put her hands to the gunshot wound on the left side of her abdomen and said, “I’m dying” or “I’m dead”.

“In the short time between when Ms Damond Ruszczyk approached the squad car and the time that officer Noor fired the fatal shot, there is no evidence that officer Noor encountered a threat, appreciated a threat, investigated a threat or confirmed a threat that justified his decision to use deadly force,” Mr Freeman said

“Instead officer Noor intentionally and recklessly fired his handgun from the passenger seat in disregard for human life.”

Noor, who has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting, has not spoken publicly about the case. 

Noor has refused to speak about the shooting. Photo: City of Minneapolis

Ms Damond moved to the US to marry her fiancée, businessman Don Damond.

The Australian-based Ruszczyk family and the family of Mr Damond released a joint statement, describing the decision to charge Noor as “one step toward justice for this iniquitous act”.

“We remain hopeful that a strong case will be presented by the prosecutor, backed by verified and detailed forensic evidence, and that this will lead to a conviction,” the statement released via the family’s lawyer Robert Bennett said.

“No charges can bring our Justine back. However, justice demands accountability for those responsible for recklessly killing the fellow citizens they are sworn to protect, and today’s actions reflect that,” it said.

Ms Damond’s death cost the job of the Minneapolis police chief and forced major revisions to the department’s policy on body cameras.

A policeman who was with Noor at the time of the shooting, Matthew Harrity, told investigators that he was startled by a loud noise right before Ms Damond approached the driver’s side window of their police vehicle.

Mr Harrity, who was driving, said Noor then leaned across and fired his weapon from the passenger seat.

Mr Harrity began CPR on Ms Damond, with Noor taking over afterward.

The officers did not turn on their body cameras until after the shooting, and there was no video of the incident from the police car.

The lack of video was widely criticised and Ms Damond’s family members were among the many people who called for changes in procedure, including how often officers are required to turn on their cameras.

The shooting also prompted questions about the training of Noor, a two-year veteran and Somali-American whose arrival on the force had been celebrated by city leaders and Minnesota’s large Somali community.

Noor, 32, had trained in business and economics and worked in property management before becoming an officer.

-with AAP