Minneapolis PD chief pledges full review of neighbor shooting
Concern mounts over Minneapolis neighbor shooting
A Minneapolis man accused of shooting his neighbor will make his first appearance in Hennepin County court tomorrow, but concerns continue to surround the Minneapolis Police Department’s decision to not arrest suspect John Sawchak until five days later. FOX 9’s Maury Glover spoke with Minnesota Sen. Ron Latz, who was a proponent Minnesota’s Red Flag Law, about what more could have potentially been done.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The political fallout continues following the arrest of a man accused of shooting his neighbor last week in Minneapolis, as several city council members continue to question why it took police four days to take the suspect into custody.
What happened
John Sawchak, 54, was arrested early Monday morning, following a five-hour long stand-off outside his home on Grand Avenue South.
The arrest comes after Sawchak allegedly shot his neighbor in the neck while he cut down a tree in his front yard.
Mounting criticism
"I’m grateful that we’ve moved towards some justice and some accountability, but it came two days too late," said Minneapolis City Council member Emily Koski.
In a letter to constituents Sunday, Koski said the shooting highlighted several troubling trends in the city of Minneapolis, including an inability to provide help and intervention to residents in need. Following the arrest she said, "public safety must never hinge on outcries from elected officials."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has fired back at Koski and others, saying that police exhausted efforts to peacefully arrest Sawchak prior to bringing in a swat team on Sunday night, as the department had focused on a ‘de-escalation first’ tactic following the murder of George Floyd.
"This feels a whole lot more like politics than someone who is looking to find a solution," said Frey.
O’Hara announced late Monday that he was ordering a full review of the shooting and the circumstances leading up to it, including various calls to police over the last year and threats made against the victim, Davis Moturi, in the months leading up to the shooting.
Since purchasing their house last year, Moturi and his wife have reported at least 19 incidents involving Sawchak including allegations of vandalism, theft and threats of violence.
In addition, Sawchak had several pending warrants for his arrest when the shooting occurred.
Chief O’Hara admitted on Sunday that while they had made several attempts to apprehend Sawchak in the last several months, the department failed Moturi.
"There was extensive work by our officers to try and bring this man into custody and we were unsuccessful - so in that sense, yes we failed this victim."