Man charged with attempted murder of neighbor over property dispute
MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting his neighbor for pruning a tree he believed was on his property line, court documents show.
Davis Moturi said he was doing yard work outside his home Wednesday afternoon when he was shot by his neighbor. According to Moturi's wife, she found Davis in the fetal position when she arrived home from work.
Moturi was taken to Hennepin Healthcare where doctors located a bullet wound in the back of his neck. At this time, Moturi is in stable condition.
According to Moturi's wife, their neighbor had told Moturi, "Touch my tree again and I'll kill you," within the previous week. She went on to say that this isn't the first time they've contacted law enforcement about their neighbor.
Court documents show that the Moturis have had issues with this neighbor since moving into their home in Sept. 2023. The Moturis have made at least 19 police reports against their neighbor ranging from things like vandalism to threatened physical assault.
In another incident, the neighbor allegedly put human waste in their mailbox, and was caught on surveillance camera using degrading and racial language towards the couple.
The man, identified as John Sawchak, is charged with four counts: second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault with the intent to inflict great bodily harm, stalking and harassment.
Court documents show Sawchak is not currently in police custody, but is the subject of at least three active warrants for previous threats and acts of violence against the Moturi's as well as other neighbors.
Michael Holland, a criminal defense lawyer in Minnesota not associated with the case, says anyone in a similar situation should look at ordinances and should not about restraining orders.
Minneapolis police, city council clash over handling of suspect
"We're not going to go in and bust his door down with guns blazing and get into a deadly force situation," Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said in a news conference on Friday.
According to police, Sawchak has actively evaded police during prior attempts to contact or arrest him.
"We wanted to arrest the suspect where he would be least likely to have access to firearms. That is outside the residence," Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said on Friday. "Unfortunately, in this case, this suspect is a recluse and does not often come out of the house."
O'Hara also said the situation was escalated in part from actions by Moturi.
"He's a liar. He's an effing liar," Moturi said in response.
The Minneapolis City Council sent a letter to Mayor Jacob Frey and Chief O'Hara on Friday, demanding urgent action around the incident. The letter states the Minneapolis Police Department failed to act and keep him safe.
Council member Andrea Jenkins confronted O'Hara after the news conference, asking him why he has not responded to her emails asking for facts.
"We have to take violent criminals off the street," Jenkins said. "I'm not a police officer. I don't know how that gets done, but I know it needs to get done."
Here is the full letter from city council members to Mayor Frey and Chief O'Hara:
Mayor Frey and Chief O'Hara,
We are writing today in utter horror at MPD's failure to protect a Minneapolis resident from a clear, persistent, and amply reported threat posed by his neighbor. Ward 8 resident Davis Moturi has been hospitalized after being shot by his next-door neighbor, two days ago on October 23, 2024. Mr. Moturi reached out to MPD starting in February of this year and made dozens of reports via 911 and 311 about the specific threats and actions taken by his neighbor.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office issued an arrest warrant for the suspect four months ago for threats made against Mr. Morturi, but the Minneapolis Police Department refused to execute the warrant. The Minneapolis Police Department did not respond to Mr. Moturi's calls in a timely or effective manner, allowing the problem to escalate for ten months. MPD did not submit reports to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office when the suspect brandished a knife and screamed racial slurs at Mr. Moturi or when the suspect threatened Mr. Moturi with a gun, both within the last two weeks. MPD still has not arrested the suspect despite charges from the Hennepin County Attorney's Office for Attempted Murder, 1st Degree Assault, Stalking, and Harassment and a request from the HCAO for a warrant with $1 million bail. MPD told the HCAO they do not intend to execute the warrant "for reasons of officer safety."
MPD's failure to act has left Mr. Moturi asking, "Am I not human like you?" We echo Mr. Moturi's heartbreaking question about why MPD did not protect this Black resident from a clear and serious threat, and why they continue to do so by failing to cooperate with the County Attorney's Office and failing to arrest the suspect. We also have many questions about how and why MPD leadership and the Mayor allowed this situation to escalate.
We support Council Member Jenkins, who has taken every step since first being contacted by her constituent in February and had to write yet another email today after months of seeking justice and protection for Mr. Moturi, in which she said "the inevitable has finally happened" after these months of inaction. Our systems have failed Mr. Moturi at every step, and it's past time he finally receives justice. We urge MPD to immediately arrest the suspect, so he can stand trial for his alleged crimes. We further urge MPD and the Mayor to offer a full explanation of how and why MPD has once again failed to do its job and a Black man has once again paid the price.
Sincerely,
Council Member Andrea Jenkins, Ward 8
Council President Elliott Payne
Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai
Public Health and Safety Chair Jason Chavez
Public Health and Safety Vice Chair Robin Wonsley
