Officers new to the Minneapolis Police Department recite an oath—swearing to “protect my community from those who would seek to cause harm.”
Minneapolis Police Oath of Office
“I, [name], do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution and laws of the State of Minnesota, and the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Minneapolis;
That I shall, in recognition of my service as a peace keeper, first do no harm, that I will upload and safeguard the sanctity of life, and that I will shield and protect my community from those who would seek to cause harm;
That I shall intervene in protest, both verbally and physically, if I witness anyone violating another’s rights;
That I recognize those I serve are members of the human family worthy of dignity and respect, and my term in office shall be guided by my love of service to the community and the grace of humanity.” – Adopted June 2020
Officers new to the Minneapolis Police Department recite an oath—swearing to “protect my community from those who would seek to cause harm.”
The department now admits failure in upholding that oath in the aftermath of the shooting of 34-year-old Davis Moturi by neighbor and known risk John Sawchak. Following a year of escalating threats, intimidation, and assaults, Sawchak shot Moturi once in the neck—fracturing his spine, breaking two ribs, and causing a concussion.
Three previous warrants were issued in Hennepin County for Sawchak’s arrest in connection with threats to Moturi and other neighbors dating back more than a year.
On Oct. 24—one day after the shooting—Sawchak was charged in Hennepin County District Court with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, stalking, and harassment. He remained at large until Oct. 28, when Minneapolis police finally apprehended Sawchak, who was taken into custody and held on $1 million bail.
A coalition of Twin Cities-based police accountability organizations has issued a statement calling for an independent investigation of the incident, the termination of Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, and the resignation of Mayor Jacob Frey.
“The conduct of Chief O’Hara and Mayor Frey is unconscionable. They have shown throughout this affair that they are both unwilling and incapable of keeping the community safe,” reads the statement, issued through Communities United Against Police Brutality. “The Minneapolis Police Department cannot be reformed under their leadership. We also call for a thorough investigation to determine why the city allowed an individual to menace his neighbors for a decade and why the Moturis’ pleas for help went unanswered.”
The Moturis reported at least 19 instances of vandalism, property destruction, theft, harassment, hate speech, verbal threats, and physical assault since the couple moved next door in the 3500 block of Grand Avenue last September. Despite multiple pending warrants for his arrest, Sawchak remained at large. Wanted flyers went up around the neighborhood several months before, declaring Sawchak “armed and dangerous” and advising residents to call 911 should they see him.
In an online fundraiser, Caroline Moturi detailed how the harassment began when the couple moved into their home.
“We bought our first home in September of 2023. What should have been the start of a wonderful chapter with my husband became a living nightmare. Shortly after moving in our neighbor began harassing us, threatening us, and stalking us. Despite multiple calls to the police for help, we were consistently informed nothing could be done. At one point an officer who responded to our distress told us to ‘just move out.’
“In addition, Davis did manage once to physically restrain John [Sawchak] when he was outside with other neighbors and witnesses present. 911 was called and officers arrived to the scene only for the officers to LET HIM GO despite there being an active warrant out for his arrest,” she wrote on a GoFundMe page.
Authorities had identified Sawchak as a threat long before.
In August 2016, a Hennepin County judge ordered Sawchak committed to a mental health treatment facility after a doctor determined he was suffering from several psychological illnesses and that Sawchak posed “a substantial likelihood of causing harm.”
Police also said that they had been attempting to detain Sawchak since April. Given the presence of firearms, O’Hara dismissed carrying out a high-risk warrant for fear that it could lead to a violent confrontation where officers “may have to use deadly force.”
“What’s appalling is the lack of action by police,” Michelle Gross with Communities United Against Police Brutality told the MSR. “They said they wouldn’t take action for ‘officer safety.’ That’s your job! You expected this family to deal with this outrageous harassment but don’t feel safe to approach.
“Police Chief O’Hara doesn’t have the leadership skills or cultural understanding to lead the MPD. He has to go. They were scared to take action but expected that family to live under [Sawchak’s] tyranny.
“Mayor Jacob Frey was silent. When he finally did speak, he defended the police,” Gross continued. “He said they left him at large for five days because the police ‘had other things to do.’”
Two days after the shooting, five city council members sent a letter to Frey and O’Hara expressing their “utter horror at [the Police Department’s] failure to protect a Minneapolis resident from a clear, persistent, and amply reported threat posed by his neighbor.”
The council members—Andrea Jenkins, Elliott Payne, Aisha Chughtai, Jason Chavez, and Robin Wonsley—wrote that the Police Department told the County Attorney’s Office that “officer safety” was the reason police did not execute the warrant.
“I still haven’t received an adequate response to the questions we raised in our letter to Frey and O’Hara,” said Jenkins, who represents Ward 8 in south central Minneapolis. “The immediate arrest of Sawchak was delivered on. In terms of why it didn’t happen sooner, I haven’t received answers about that. The chief admitted that they failed this resident, and they are making some policy changes to ensure this sort of thing doesn’t happen again.
“We’re short-staffed here at the city of Minneapolis,” said Jenkins. “We’re down about 300 police officers. It is deeply unfortunate that Davis got shot, but the opportunities to arrest this person were slim. Certainly, the cops could have worked faster.”
Minneapolis police officials laid out plans in late October for the department’s proposed $230 million budget for 2025, a 6% increase over current funding levels. Applications to Minneapolis police also are up 45% compared to last year, with 1,014 applications; there were a total of 697 in 2023.
The incident comes just weeks before the city is set to release development plans for George Floyd Square. The brutal murder of Floyd by police in May 2020 remains an open wound for the community.
“It is not enough for our city or police force to admit fault. People need to be held accountable,” said Trahern Crews, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota. “So many Black men have been murdered by the police, and none of them have been given the same compassion or grace that has been offered to known armed and dangerous white residents. Davis Moturi, George Floyd, Travis Jordan and so many others deserved better.
“With everything that has happened here,” Crews continued, “we thought that these sort of things wouldn’t continue to happen. We thought the state of Minnesota, especially the city of Minneapolis, had learned its lesson. Now, it seems Minnesota is going backward socially, politically, and economically.”
Following a comprehensive investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in June 2023 that the Minneapolis Police Department and the City of Minneapolis engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct in violation of the U.S. Constitution and federal law.
Specifically, the Justice Department found that Minneapolis police:
- Uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and unreasonable use of tasers;
- Discriminates against Black and Native American people in its enforcement activities, including the use of force following stops;
- Violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech; and
- Along with the city, discriminates against people with behavioral health disabilities when responding to calls for assistance.
The Department concluded that persistent deficiencies in policy, training, supervision, and accountability contribute to Minneapolis police’s unlawful conduct.
“The disparities in how our police department treats Black residents are impossible to ignore,” said Monique Cullars-Doty, who’s been a prominent activist since her nephew was shot and killed by Minneapolis police in 2015.
“In 2022, when Tekle Sundberg, a man battling severe mental illness, was reported to the police, they detailed a plan they had to utilize rubber bullets and gas to apprehend him. But after six hours, snipers shot him while he was taking a selfie in the window. They do have the resources and the know-how to immediately act, and in a non-lethal matter, but they don’t value Black lives. That’s the problem.”
Alexzia Shobe welcomes reader responses to ashobe@spokesman-recorder.com.