Minneapolis, MN
Court filings from Minneapolis man accused of shooting neighbor show pattern of harassment
MINNEAPOLIS — Newly uncovered court documents accuse John Sawchak of a long history of violence.
The documents accuse Sawchak of striking a neighbor with a wooden stick, slashing the tires of a police car and threatening to kill other neighbors.
Last week, Davis Moturi said he was doing yard work outside his south Minneapolis home when Sawchak shot him.
Sawchak is charged with attempted murder for the shooting Moturi. His bail is set at $1 million.
Court documents show Sawchak’s issues with neighbors spans nearly a decade.
A request for a restraining order in 2015 is from a mother of three, who lived in the same home where Moturi lives now.
According to one of the documents, the mother wrote “Kids are afraid of sleeping in their rooms or using the restroom by themselves” and “I’m really afraid that something terrible might happen before something is done.”
In the same restraining order, she said, “police told us to keep calling” but “whenever they do come, John is already in his house and they can’t get him.”
In 2016, Carole Megarry filed for a restraining order after she said Sawchak would yell at her and record her.
The now-77-year-old writing at the time, “she was thinking [of] leaving the neighborhood and moving someplace where I do not have to worry about this man.”
“It was definitely intimidating, certainly state of vigilance always looking and listening,” Megarry said.
Instead of leaving, she adapted.
In 2022, things took a violent turn when she let her dog out.
“He came after me with a piece of lumbar about 4 inches long. He was yelling at me and chasing,” Megarry recalled. “I was afraid I could have been killed.”
Since that time, Megarry said she’s avoided Sawchak, going as far as not even walking in the alley of her home.
Neighbors said they are upset with how police handled the situation and how they let this situation with Sawchak go unnoticed.
Megarry said many neighbors knew not to engage with him and just ignore him.
While Sawchak’s home remains boarded up, neighbors like Megarry say they feel safer knowing he’s in custody, but at the same time, uneasy.
On Friday, the Minneapolis NAACP said dereliction of duty led to the shooting and wants a sincere apology from Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara and Mayor Jacob Frey. Minneapolis public information officers say O’Hara already did that during a press conference this week.
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis College teams up with Toys for Tots to provide holiday gifts for student parents
For many student parents at Minneapolis College, the holiday season arrives during one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year.
Final exams, work schedules and family responsibilities often collide in December. This week, a Toys for Tots giveaway on campus offered some relief.
The college partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program to provide gifts exclusively for student parents. School officials say more than 145 student parents signed up for the event, representing nearly 270 children.
Veronica Krawiec is a nursing student at Minneapolis College and the mother of a young son, Christopher. She said balancing school, work and parenting can be overwhelming, especially around the holidays.
Krawiec said she was able to find a Lego set her son specifically asked for this Christmas, something she was not sure she would be able to afford on her own.
She said the support she receives on campus has made a significant difference, pointing to resources like the Student Support Center and food pantry. Krawiec said those services help her focus on school without feeling ashamed for asking for help.
“As a mom most of the time I feel like I’m failing but like this this helps me a lot to not feel as bad,” she said.
Sharita Jackson, a first semester addiction counseling student and single mother of two, also attended the giveaway. She said resources like the Toys for Tots event help ease some of the pressure that comes with being a student parent.
Minneapolis College staff say the need among student parents has grown this year, in some cases doubling. The college estimates nearly 20% of its students are parents, and more than 70% of students identify as Indigenous or people of color, international, low income or first generation.
In addition to holiday giveaways, the college offers a Student Parent Center, a food pantry, basic needs support and access to housing, financial and veterans resources. Staff say those services are designed to help students stay enrolled and succeed while raising families.
College officials say events like the Toys for Tots giveaway help reduce stress during the holidays and allow student parents to focus on finishing the semester strong.
A tense situation developed in South Minneapolis Monday afternoon, where dozens of residents confronted ICE agents operating in the streets near Lake Street and Pillsbury Avenue, not far from the Karmel Mall.
WCCO reporter Esme Murphy was also on the scene and reported that chemical irritant had been deployed. Murphy and a WCCO photographer were among those who were hit with the irritant.
Murphy reported seeing at least three people in handcuffs, but it was not immediately clear for what reason they were being detained. The scene seemed to have cleared by 2:30 p.m.
Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies were observed at the scene. Local law enforcement have been deployed to control crowds since the Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Metro Surge in recent weeks. One of the recent ICE operations in the metro area was a raid at a construction site in Chanhassen over the weekend.
The Karmel Mall is the nation’s first Somali shopping center. The enhanced ICE actions came just after President Trump said, “I don’t want [Somalis] in our country” and claimed Somalis are “completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota.”
Few other details were immediately available, but WCCO crews on the scene noted that many of those protesting against ICE were using whistles, which in many prior confrontations have been used to try to warn neighbors that ICE agents were in the vicinity.
This story is developing and will be updated.
The World Junior Championships are less than two weeks away, but Team USA starts training camp on Monday in Duluth. FOX 9 Sports Director Jim Rich caught up with Team USA coach Bob Motzko Sunday night in St. Paul as the Americans are looking for a three-peat.
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