‘We failed this victim’: MPD chief apologizes to man allegedly shot by neighbor

On Sunday, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara apologized to a man who was shot by his neighbor after a year of harassment and intimidation.

The victim, Davis Moturi, believes his neighbor shot him and says he has reported threats to police several times over the past year.

At the time of this publication, neighbor John Herbert Sawchak, 54, has a warrant out for his arrest. Sawchak faces charges of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, stalking and bias harassment.

RELATED: : The man accused of shooting his neighbor in Minneapolis had a history of threats and harassment

On Sunday evening, a 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS photographer captured Minneapolis police officers executing a warrant at Sawchak’s home. From 10:20 p.m., officers were on the intercom and asking Sawchak to leave the house before law enforcement escalated the situation.

During Sunday’s news conference, Chief O’Hara said police had failed Moturi.

“Yes. In this case, we failed this victim. 100%. Because something like this should not have happened to him. The Minneapolis police, for some reason, did not take urgent enough action to prevent this person from being shot. And to this victim, I am sorry,” O’Hara said .

O’Hara’s apology comes after several Minneapolis City Council members called on Mayor Frey and MPD to step in and arrest Sawchak.

In response to O’Hara’s apology, Moturi told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on Sunday evening: “He didn’t apologize for anything. He said MPD failed me and I say you failed me. I turned to you asking for help. Your officers have failed me. I asked for help in many places, and when I turned to you for help, you remained silent.

Moturi says he was released from the hospital on Sunday night, but he’s afraid to go home while Sawchak is still around.

On Friday, Moturi told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he installed a security camera in his home to capture evidence of the growing threats. Footage of the incident from Wednesday evening shows him trimming a tree near the property line of Sawchak’s apartment building before a “pop” is heard. The victim then falls to the ground.

“I thought, ‘I have to call for help.’ Part of my brain was turned off,” Davis Moturi previously told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS from his hospital bed.