Minneapolis man shot by neighbor says police were previously notified of threats

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis man is in the hospital tonight after he says his neighbor shot him.

But so far, Minneapolis Police Department I haven’t made an arrest yet because Chief O’Hara wants to do it safely.

What we know

Davis Motrui is currently recovering and is expected to survive.

Although he doesn’t remember much, he tells FOX 9 he has been having problems with his neighbor, John Sawchak, since last year.

“I woke up in the hospital with tubes in my stomach and people telling me I had been shot,” Motrui told FOX 9.

Motrui says Sawchak shot him in the back and there is still a bullet.

Sawchak, 54, is charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault, stalking and intimidation

What happened

He says it all started when he tried to cut down a tree.

“I started cutting, I looked up and saw some movement in John’s house,” Moturi said.

Afterwards, Motrui says things got blurry because he hit his head.

He tells FOX 9 from his hospital bed that he has been having problems with Sawchak since October of last year.

Motrui says he filed several complaints about Sawchak and called Minneapolis police.

“I said it takes for someone to get really hurt before something gets done, and someone gets really hurt. I did that, and still nothing was done,” Motrui said.

So far, Minneapolis police have not arrested Sawchak.

Chief Brian O’Hara says this is because Sawchak has a mental illness, and investigators have had difficulty locating him due to his tendency to be a recluse in his home.

“We’re not going to kick down the door with guns firing and get into a situation of deadly force. That’s not going to happen,” Chief O’Hara said Friday evening.

O’Hara says officers must be careful to protect everyone’s safety.

“My officers are in even greater danger when they try to make an arrest. If the suspect didn’t know we were looking for him before, he certainly knows now,” O’Hara said.

O’Hara has fought back against critics who say they haven’t done enough.

“Anyone who suggests that the police don’t want to arrest this person is simply wrong. Frankly, though, the officers are scared. They’re scared of being prosecuted,” O’Hara said.

But Moturi says he doesn’t believe the police are doing their job properly.

In the meantime, O’Hara says they are working around the clock to keep the community safe.