Minneapolis Police Chief Resigns After Probe

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara resigned on Tuesday after an investigation revealed he likely interfered with a prior probe into alleged sexual misconduct. According to multiple reports, Mayor Jacob Frey accepted his resignation following the findings of the investigation.

The investigation found no evidence confirming allegations that O'Hara had improper relationships with city employees but concluded he probably deleted a contact from his phone during an earlier internal inquiry, amounting to interference (The Guardian, CBS News). Frey issued O’Hara a “serious misconduct” reprimand and warned him of potential disciplinary action up to dismissal.

Frey announced O'Hara’s resignation at a press conference where he stated, "Trust is not secondary to the job, it is the job. When trust is broken it becomes extremely difficult to continue leading effectively." Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell will take over as acting police chief until a permanent replacement is found (The Guardian, CBS News).

O’Hara, who was appointed in November 2022, had been credited with rebuilding public trust and increasing the number of officers in the department. However, he faced criticism for his handling of federal immigration enforcement operations and a ballooning police budget (The Guardian, CBS News). The Minneapolis City Council is scheduled to address O'Hara’s resignation at a press conference on Wednesday.

Minneapolis City Council members criticized Mayor Jacob Frey for not disclosing investigations into the police chief's alleged misconduct. Council President Elliot Payne noted that Frey had renominated O'Hara for another term on May 6, amid the investigation, and the council was kept in the dark about the allegations (CBS News). Payne stated, "For us to do our oversight job, we need information. We need to know about allegations, we need to know about open investigations, we need to know about closed investigations."

Council member Robin Wonsley said Frey's renomination of O'Hara was "completely out of step with professional norms." Neighboring jurisdictions had put their police chiefs on administrative leave once allegations triggered investigations into potential misconduct (CBS News). The council members expressed concerns about a lack of oversight into the police department and its implications for police accountability.

In his first public statement after resigning, O'Hara's attorney released a message highlighting his achievements during his tenure. The statement noted a reduction in violent crime and growth in the size of the Minneapolis Police Department (CBS News). It also mentioned significant progress in rebuilding community trust and navigating a recent "Metro Surge" by federal immigration agents. However, the statement did not address the investigation into O'Hara's conduct.

Frey framed the resignation as a matter of trust, stating that when you serve as chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, trust is not secondary to the job, it is the job (The Guardian, CBS News). Frey said an investigation found O'Hara had interfered with a prior investigation by "knowingly and intentionally" deleting a contact card for a city employee from his city-issued cell phone during the original investigation.