Minneapolis, MN
City Council calls for audit of MPD response to neighbor dispute that led to shooting
A group of Minneapolis city leaders are calling for an independent review of a recent neighbor dispute that ended with one man hospitalized after being shot and another man in custody.
As reported by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS last week, Davis Moturi says he repeatedly called police about threats made by his neighbor, 54-year-old John Sawchak.
Many city council members are saying a separate review is necessary in this case. Prosecutors say Sawchak shot Moturi after a months-long dispute. Video shows Moturi pruning a tree near the property line and then a pop is heard before he falls to the ground.
However, it took days for officers to arrest Sawchak after prosecutors charged him with the shooting and after city council members called for police to take action.
Moturi also says for nearly a year, he had been reaching out for help from Minneapolis police regarding harassment and threats from Sawchak. On Sunday, Police Chief Brian O’Hara also apologized, saying the department “failed” Moturi.
During Thursday’s meeting, council members called for an independent review of the case in addition to the internal review.
“Seeing another Black man not be delivered the justice that they deserved and to see our police department or leadership initially blame said victim for the cause of their near-death experience — it was disheartening to hear that our actions to bring attention to eight months of inaction was labeled as political,” Ward 2 Council Member Robin Wonsley said.
Early Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey issued the following statement regarding an independent review into the shooting:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow.
“The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community.
Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”
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One person is dead and eight others are hurt in a string of weekend shootings across Minneapolis.
Police say the first shooting occurred Friday around 5 p.m. near North Humboldt and 26th avenues. A man was outside of his home when shots rang out, leaving him with multiple gunshot wounds.
Around 9:35 p.m. Friday, two men were shot outside in the area of north Lowry and Logan avenues.
Just after 12:30 a.m. Saturday, a man was found shot in an alley near Mortimer’s Bar and Restaurant off South Lyndale and Franklin avenues. He told police he was outside walking when he was hit.
Just before 12:50 a.m. Saturday, police say a man outside was shot near North Penn Avenue, just north of Highway 55, by someone driving by.
Around 1:50 a.m. Saturday, a man suffering from gunshot wounds showed up at Hennepin Healthcare, with police later determining he was shot in the area of North Lyndale and 45th avenues.
Just after 3:30 a.m. Saturday, a man showed up to Children’s Minneapolis hospital with a gunshot wound he said occurred when he was asleep inside his vehicle.
On Sunday around 1 a.m., a man was found laying on the ground near Bloomington Avenue and East 24th Street. He was brought to Hennepin Healthcare where he later died. Police say investigators “located evidence of gunfire, including a firearm recovered next to the man who died.”
On Sunday just before 1:30 a.m., a 15-year-old girl was shot in the area of Hennepin and Laurel avenues in downtown. Two boys, ages 14 and 15, were soon arrested in connection to the shooting.
And just before 1:50 a.m. Sunday, a man was found shot inside a business off Northeast Lowry Avenue and Fourth Street Northeast. Investigators believe the shooting began as an altercation in the business’s parking lot.
With the exception of the shooting of the 15-year-old girl, police say no arrests have been made in any of the cases. All surviving victims have injuries described by police as non-life threatening.
Anyone with information on any of these shootings can submit an anonymous tip online to Crime Stoppers, or call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
A shooting in north Minneapolis injured a man near Penn Avenue.
According to the Minneapolis Police Department, officers responded to a shooting near the 700th block of Penn Avenue North, where they found a man with a gunshot wound.
Authorities said preliminary information shows that the man was outside when the shooting happened, possibly coming from a vehicle. A nearby hospital treated the man for non-life-threatening injuries.
Police are still investigating, with a forensic team collecting evidence from the scene. Officers said no arrests have been made.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
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