MINNEAPOLIS (CNN) – The Minneapolis police chief is admitting that his department “failed” to protect one of the city’s residents who has long feared for his safety.
That man, Davis Moturi, was hospitalized with a gunshot wound, allegedly shot by his neighbor after months of escalating encounters and calls to police ended in gunfire last week.
Now, the city’s police department is under scrutiny for their response and how long it took to make an arrest.
While Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara acknowledges his department’s shortcomings, he also spoke defiantly on the public’s outcry that officers should have done something sooner.
Moturi, a Minneapolis resident, has taken many videos of his neighbor, John Sawchak, since late 2023. He’s called police at least 19 times, reportedly detailing threats and harassment.
Last week, police say that escalated to gunfire.
“The bullet went down through my neck and then all the way back to my spine,” Moturi described.
WARNING: This video contains images that some may find disturbing.
O’Hara says his department had been trying to arrest Sawchak for at least six months and officers have been surveilling him constantly since warrants were issued for last Wednesday’s shooting of Moturi.
“We failed this victim 100%,” O’Hara remarked.
The chief added that Sawchak has known mental health issues, was likely armed and that the police department is severely understaffed.
“We have been trying to get this person into custody safely, which would mean getting him outside of the house when he is not near guns or any other weapons,” O’Hara added.
On Sunday evening, police stopped waiting.
A SWAT team and special tactics unit used a battering ram to break out windows at Sawchak’s home after several hours of negotiations failed.
Sawchak finally surrendered in the early hours on Monday and was taken into custody.
He faces several charges, including attempted murder, stalking and harassment.
It’s an outcome, after a cautious approach, that Moturi says should have come much sooner.
“You have this body armor. You have professional training. If you’re saying you’re scared, what does that do to me?” Moturi asked.
O’Hara says before SWAT officers were sent in, the department used a behavioral threat team, a psychiatrist and members of Sawchak’s family to try to urge him to come out of the house.
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