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City Council calls for audit of MPD response to neighbor dispute that led to shooting

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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.

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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.

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Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”



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Minneapolis, MN

2-3 Inches Of Snow Possible In Twin Cities Metro: MN Weather

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2-3 Inches Of Snow Possible In Twin Cities Metro: MN Weather


MINNEAPOLIS — A winter weather advisory has been issued for most of the Twin Cities metro area Thursday, with up to 3 inches of accumulating wet, slushy snow possible.

“As colder air begins to move in this morning, the rain will transition to heavy snow from west to east with snowfall rates of an inch per hour at times into early afternoon,” the NWS said.

“Total accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are likely in a narrow band from just north of Mankato through most of the Twin Cities metro area, to northwest Wisconsin. Locally higher totals are possible if the heaviest bands remain nearly stationary.”

National Weather Service

Expect northwest winds of 15 to 20 mph with gusts as high as 30 or 35 mph, further deteriorating travel conditions. Temps will drop into the low 30s and upper 20s just in time for trick or treating.

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Here’s the full NWS forecast from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport:

Thursday: Rain and snow before 4pm, then a chance of rain. The rain and snow could be heavy at times. Some thunder is also possible. High near 39. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 31. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. Light south southeast wind becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. South southeast wind around 10 mph.

Saturday: A 20 percent chance of rain before 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. South southwest wind around 10 mph.

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Saturday Night: Rain likely after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. East southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday: Rain likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. East southeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday Night: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 51. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Monday: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 64. Southeast wind around 10 mph becoming south southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Monday Night: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then rain likely. Low around 46. West southwest wind around 10 mph becoming north northwest in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

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Tuesday: Rain likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 55. West wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of rain. Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. West wind around 10 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 51. West wind 10 to 15 mph



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Minneapolis, MN

Community activists demand action after Davis Moturi was shot by John Sawchak

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Community activists demand action after Davis Moturi was shot by John Sawchak


MINNEAPOLIS — Community activists are demanding action a week after Davis Moturi was shot by his neighbor while doing yard work outside his south Minneapolis.

The man, identified as John Sawchak, is charged with four counts: second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault with the intent to inflict great bodily harm, stalking and harassment. 

“The leadership of both the mayor and police chief are not acceptable of reforming Minneapolis Police the way they must be reformed,” said Michelle Gross, Communities United Against Police Brutality President.

The shooting happened after months of harassment nearly 20 police reports and several arrest warrants out for Sawchak.

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Officers finally took the accused shooter into custody Monday following a high-stakes standoff five days after the shooting.

“The fact that a man could shoot his neighbor and sat in his house for five days with no repercussions is unacceptable,” Gross said.

Now community activists will be the ones calling for the city’s top leaders to step down during Thursday’s council meeting.

Last week, the Chief O’Hara said they were playing it safe waiting to arrest the suspect where he would be least likely to have access to firearms.

During a press conference Monday after Sawchak’s arrest, Mayor Frey said he stood by the actions of MPD.

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In a statement Chief O’Hara promised a “full review” and to implement changes adding “this is the least we can do in the ongoing effort to become the department the community demands.”

Communities United Against Police Brutality demand:

-An independent 3rd party to investigate how MPD handled the matter  

-the city TO immediately pay for Moturi’ medical bills

-and Police Chief O’Hara to be fired

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In a statement from the mayor’s office in response to those demands,

“Mayor Frey supports the post-incident review of this tragic incident. He extends his condolences to the victim, his wife, and their family and friends. 

Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”



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Minneapolis, MN

11 alleged Minneapolis Lows gang members indicted on racketeering charges that include 5 homicides

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11 alleged Minneapolis Lows gang members indicted on racketeering charges that include 5 homicides


Five Minneapolis homicides — including a February mass shooting outside a market — are at the heart of the latest federal racketeering case to take aim at a street gang in the city. The latest target: the northside-based Lows, described by law enforcement as the most violent among its peers.

The new charges, announced Wednesday by U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, chart a three-year path of bloodshed that saw rivals and bystanders alike killed amid a long-running gang war. Eleven alleged members of the Lows are named in the indictment, which also includes allegations of gun and drug trafficking.

“The murders and shootings alleged in this indictment should shock the conscience of every law-abiding citizen in the city,” Luger said in a press conference Wednesday. “To put it simply, the existence of the Lows gang constitutes a threat to the sanctity of human life and we will continue to take all appropriate steps under the law to remove this threat.”

The Lows indictment bookends an initiative launched by Luger’s office in May 2023 to use complex conspiracy charges to disrupt Minneapolis’ most prominent gangs. The charges follow similar indictments against alleged members of the Bloods, 10z/20z and Highs gangs and brings the tally of those charged to beyond 90 people. Earlier this month, Luger’s office won its first racketeering conviction since starting this work when a jury found three alleged Bloods members guilty of charges that covered racketeering and using a firearm to carry out murder.

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All of those charged in this latest case — some of whom have related state prosecutions pending — are in custody and were expected to make first appearances in St. Paul. None of them had attorneys listed as representing them as of late Wednesday, according to the federal court docket.

The Lows street gang has existed in Minneapolis since about 2004 and claims as its territory a section of north Minneapolis south of Broadway Avenue while the rival Highs gang operates north of that road. According to court documents, the murder that year of 18-year-old Christopher Little, identified by law enforcement as “a known Lows member,” intensified a rivalry with the Highs that has since included “hundreds of shootings and murders” in their territories.

A grand jury on Monday returned the latest 18-count indictment under seal charging 11 alleged Lows members with crimes including racketeering conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, gun trafficking and drug trafficking. The indictment charged 78 “overt acts committed in furtherance of the enterprise” – including seven murders or attempted murders involving 10 victims. Bystanders were struck on two occasions. A judge unsealed the charges Wednesday amid the first federal court appearances in the case.

Those charged include: Ashimiyu Alowonle III, 38; Timothy Calender III, 26; Glenn Carter III, 23; Victor Collins, 22; Damari Douglas, 20; Deontae Jackson, 35; Shannon Jackson, 32; Robert Knights Jr, 19; Albert Lucas V, 20; Kaprice Richards, 23; Cartrelle Smith, 27.



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