Minneapolis, MN

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

Published

1 year ago

October 31, 2024

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

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Related Topics:Featured Minneapolis City Council Minneapolis Police Department

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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis man arrested in Manchester after allegedly trying to meet minor for sex

Published

9 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Minneapolis man arrested in Manchester after allegedly trying to meet minor for sex

MANCHESTER, Iowa — A Minnesota man has been arrested in Manchester after police say he attempted to meet someone he believed was a minor for sexual activity.

The Manchester Police Department said Robert Fenn Eselby III, 23, of Minneapolis was arrested Feb. 27 following an undercover investigation.

According to police, Eselby contacted an undercover officer posing as a juvenile through several social media platforms. Authorities said he was informed multiple times that the person he was communicating with was underage.

Investigators say Eselby sent explicit photos and videos and later arranged to travel to Manchester to meet the supposed minor for sexual activity.

Police said Eselby was taken into custody immediately after arriving in Manchester and was transported to the Delaware County Jail.

Authorities also said Eselby allegedly attempted to ask an arresting officer out on a date during the booking process.

Eselby faces one count of grooming, a Class D felony, and one count of disseminating obscene material to a minor, a serious misdemeanor.

Court records show he remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

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Minneapolis, MN

What is a data center?

Published

21 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

What exactly is a data center and why are so many being proposed across Minnesota? Professor Manjeet Rege, chair of Software Engineering and Data Science and director of the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence at the University of St. Thomas, joins us to explain how these massive facilities store and process the world’s data and what the economic, environmental, and infrastructure questions are as Minnesota considers hosting more of them.

Posted March 4, 2026 4:27pm CST

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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis Ranked Among U.S. Cities With The Most People In Financial Distress

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Minneapolis Ranked Among U.S. Cities With The Most People In Financial Distress

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis is ranked among the American cities with the most people in financial distress nationwide, according to a recent analysis by WalletHub.

The personal finance website, which defines financial distress as having a credit account in forbearance or with deferred payments, looked at the country’s 100 largest cities without data limitations across nine metrics, including average credit score, change in bankruptcy filings year-over-year, and share of people with accounts in distress.

Minneapolis came in 44th on the list, between Stockton, California, at 43rd and Fresno, California, at 45th, according to the ranking.

Nationwide, the cities with the most people in financial distress were Chicago at No. 1, Houston at No. 2 and Las Vegas at No. 3, the ranking said.

“Getting out of the downward spiral of financial distress is no easy feat,” according to WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

“You may get temporary relief from your lenders by not having to make payments, but all the while interest will keep building up, making the debt even harder to pay off. People who find themselves in financial distress should budget carefully, cut non-essential expenses, and pursue strategies like debt consolidation or debt management to get their situation under control.”

Read more from WalletHub.

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