The Minneapolis Audit Committee gave unanimous approval on Dec. 2 for the Office of City Auditor to update its plan for the year to include a review of city actions in the shooting of Davis Moturi. The matter was referred to the division by the Minneapolis City Council on Oct. 31, a necessary first step to opening an investigation.
Not yet known is who will lead the review, its scope, or how long it could take.
“The Auditor operates independently of the City Council,” said Council President Elliott Payne. “We can ask that they do the work, but it’s all within the purview of the City Auditor.”
The Council asked for a June 13, 2025, completion date in the investigation.
The decision follows renewed calls by a coalition of police accountability organizations demanding an independent investigation into the shooting of Moturi by neighbor and white supremacist John Sawchak. In a statement presented to the Minneapolis City Council on Nov. 12, the groups again called for Police Chief Brian O’Hara’s termination and Mayor Frey’s resignation. They further demanded that Minneapolis immediately compensate Davis for medical bills and other expenses arising from the shooting.
“The conduct of Chief O’Hara and Mayor Frey is unconscionable,” the coalition’s statement read in part. “They have shown throughout this affair that they are both unwilling and incapable of keeping the community safe. We call for the termination of Chief O’Hara and the resignation of Mayor Frey. 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.”
On Oct. 23, following a year of escalating threats, intimidation, and assaults, Sawchak shot Moturi in the neck — fracturing his spine, breaking two ribs, and causing a concussion. Sawchak shot his firearm from a window on the second floor of his home next door while Moturi was doing yard work. Sawchak, 54, is white; Moturi, 34, is Black.
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 for five days until community pressure forced the police to act; officers apprehended the shooter in the early hours of Oct. 28.
Sawchak already faced three outstanding warrants in Hennepin County for ongoing threats to neighbors. Police said that they sought to detain Sawchak starting in April.
Moturi and his wife, Caroline, reported at least 19 instances of vandalism, property destruction, theft, harassment, hate speech, verbal threats, and physical assault since moving into their home in the 3500 block of Grand Avenue in South Minneapolis. Several months before Sawchak’s arrest, Sheriff’s Department wanted posters went up around the neighborhood declaring Sawchak “armed and dangerous” and advising residents to call 911 should they see him.
Sawchak was a known threat to the community for years. In August 2016, a Hennepin County judge ordered Sawchak committed to a mental health treatment facility after a doctor determined that he suffered from several psychological disorders and stated that Sawchak presented “a substantial likelihood of causing harm.”
After Moturi was shot but before Sawchak was in custody, O’Hara told the community: “We failed this victim 100 percent. And to that victim, I say I am sorry that this happened to you.” Following Sawchak’s arrest, O’Hara announced that the police department would conduct a “post-incident review” and again apologized to Moturi and his wife for “failing them.”
Nekima Levy Armstrong — founder of the nonprofit Racial Justice Network and former president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP — led a group of community activists who filled the chamber and hallway during the Oct. 31 Minneapolis City Council meeting to demand a fully independent third-party investigation be launched into the city’s actions in the case.
The council approved the city auditor review before adjourning. Frey released a statement after, saying he supported the council’s action in referring the matter to the city auditor but remained steadfast in his support of O’Hara to remain police chief.
In an interview with the MSR, Levy Armstrong expressed frustration over the city’s slow pace of action following the October City Council meeting.
“I’m not surprised that the city took its time to determine next steps, but they need to address the situation with a greater sense of urgency,” she said. “We’re still awaiting accountability.”
Payne is sympathetic to the frustrations of the community but notes that the pace in securing this review was quick by standards. “The default speed of city government never feels responsive in the moment,” he said.
“We really need to be centering the experience of Davis Moturi and centering the need for justice,” Payne added. “This institution MPD operates with defensiveness. To get safety right it needs to function on accountability. How well or how poorly we are addressing the needs of Minneapolis.”
The coalition of police accountability organizations issuing this statement were: Black Lives Matter Minnesota, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities Metro, CAIR-Minnesota, Communities United Against Police Brutality, Daunte and Kobe No More Names Initiative, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, Minneapolis for a Better Police Contract, Racial Justice Network, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice.
Cynthia Moothart welcomes reader responses to cmoothart@spokesman-recorder.com.