Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis police audit: Officers feared entering shooter’s home after Moturi attack
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis city audit is raising new questions about how police responded when Davis Moturi was shot in the neck by his neighbor in 2024.
Audit findings raise concerns about police response
What we know:
The audit found Minneapolis police officers appeared to misunderstand whether they could legally enter the home of Moturi’s neighbor, John Sawchak, after the shooting. Some officers argued “the risk to officer safety was too great” to justify going inside for what they believed was a misdemeanor offense.
It took police five days to arrest Sawchak, who was later deemed mentally ill in court. The audit also noted that many of its recommendations are already being addressed by the department, and it specifically recognized the police for their situational awareness, empathy and professionalism with victims.
Moturi, who was shot in the neck, told FOX 9, “If they’re too scared to do anything, how does how do they think I feel? How do they think I’m supposed to exist? Or what about the rest of the community, if they can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen. That’s why we hired you to risk your life, to go in and put yourself in front of the citizens. What happened to serve and protect?”
The audit also pointed out that Police Chief Brian O’Hara initially appeared to blame Moturi in part for the shooting, using language the auditor described as harmful.
Moturi said, “I’m glad they highlighted the chief victim-blaming, and I know he claimed he received the wrong information. That begs the question, OK, well, where’s the information coming from?”
Chief O’Hara’s response and department changes
What they’re saying:
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara addressed the audit’s findings, saying, “Escalating neighbor disputes can leave people feeling trapped in their own homes, living with ongoing fear and uncertainty. No matter the circumstance, those who reach out for help deserve the very best from the City of Minneapolis and our police department.”
O’Hara later said in October 2024 that police failed Moturi and has since apologized publicly.
However, Moturi told FOX 9 he has not received a direct apology from the chief.
The audit has led to ongoing changes within the Minneapolis Police Department, with leadership expressing support for its recommendations and after-action review.
The audit’s findings have sparked a broader conversation about police protocols and how officers respond to dangerous situations in the community.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The Basilica Block Party has officially come to an end after more than 25 years as one of the Twin Cities’ best-known summer music events.
The Basilica of Saint Mary said this week that the final Block Party was held in 2024, “concluding an incredible run and leaving a lasting legacy in our community.”
“For over 25 years, the Basilica Block Party brought together an extraordinary spirit of music and community in the Twin Cities,” organizers said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful for the fans, the artists, and the support shown for our beloved Basilica.”
The event began in the 1990s as a fundraiser for the Basilica of Saint Mary and grew into a major outdoor music festival, drawing national acts and thousands of fans to downtown Minneapolis over the years.
While the Block Party is ending, the Basilica said it will continue hosting other events and community opportunities.
“The Basilica of Saint Mary continues to be a strong voice in our community and we look forward to new events and opportunities to build connections in the future,” organizers said.
The Basilica also pointed supporters to its “Restoring Beauty, Inspiring Hope” campaign, a comprehensive restoration and capital campaign aimed at preserving and renewing the historic church.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A 23-year-old Minneapolis man was sentenced Wednesday to 102 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
Prosecutors said Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan tried to travel from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Somalia in December 2024 to join and fight for the foreign terrorist organization.
ISIS has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. secretary of state since 2014.
According to court documents cited by federal prosecutors, Hassan consumed and reposted ISIS propaganda, obtained bombmaking and weapons-related manuals, and communicated on social media with ISIS media wings and recruiters operating in Somalia.
The U.S. attorney’s office said Hassan bought a one-way ticket, left Minneapolis for Chicago on Dec. 29, 2024, and was prevented from continuing to Somalia after an interview by Customs and Border Protection’s Tactical Terrorism Response Team.
Prosecutors said he later continued researching ISIS attacks and posting pro-ISIS content online before the FBI arrested him on Feb. 27, 2025.
Hassan pleaded guilty Sept. 29, 2025, before Judge Donovan W. Frank, who imposed the sentence on April 22.
In the announcement, FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson said, “Abdisatar Hassan took active steps in an attempt to join and support ISIS—a brutal foreign terrorist organization responsible for the violent deaths of thousands of innocent people.”
He added that the sentence “takes a would-be terrorist off the streets and sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will unremittingly pursue anyone seeking to join or support a foreign terrorist organization.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Customs and Border Protection and the New York Police Department.
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