Fatal shooting of Sydney woman Justine Damond 'didn't have to happen'

The prosecutor who will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against a Minnesota police officer who fatally shot Australian woman Justine Damond says the shooting "shouldn't have happened".

The Star Tribune reports Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman met Minneapolis residents on Sunday afternoon who questioned him about the death of the 40-year-old from Sydney.

She was in her pyjamas when she was fatally shot on July 15 by Officer Mohamed Noor, who was one of two officers responding to her emergency call about a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home.

Officer Noor was in the passenger seat of their squad car and fired his gun across Officer Matthew Harrity, who was sitting in the driver's seat, when Ms Damond approached.

Damond was shot in the stomach.

Freeman told residents Damond's death "didn't have to happen".

Freeman also commented on another high-profile case - this one involving the fatal police shooting of Philando Castile.

He says the jury was wrong in acquitting the officer who killed Castile.