Minneapolis Police Chief O’Hara Resigns After Sexual Allegation Probe Interference Findings
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara has resigned following a misconduct investigation that ultimately found he interfered with an internal review tied to allegations involving inappropriate relationships with city employees, marking a major leadership shakeup in one of the nation’s most closely scrutinized police departments.
The resignation, announced by Mayor Jacob Frey, came after officials concluded that O’Hara’s actions undermined the integrity of an active investigation and represented a serious breakdown of trust at the highest level of the department.
Frey said leadership of the police force depends on public confidence that cannot be compromised.
“Everyone makes mistakes, including me, but what I can’t allow is a breach of trust,” Frey said, adding that trust is central to the role of police chief and not secondary to it.
The case centers on an anonymous complaint first brought to city officials alleging O’Hara had engaged in sexual relationships with city employees.
That initial investigation did not substantiate the underlying allegations, according to officials.
However, a later internal review found that O’Hara improperly interfered with the investigative process.
According to the findings, he deleted a contact from a city-issued phone that investigators believed was relevant to the inquiry and communicated about the investigation with individuals he had been directed not to contact.
Officials concluded these actions compromised the integrity of the review process
The resignation, announced by Mayor Jacob Frey, came after officials concluded that O’Hara’s actions undermined the integrity of an active investigation and represented a serious breakdown of trust at the highest level of the department.
Frey said leadership of the police force depends on public confidence that cannot be compromised.
“Everyone makes mistakes, including me, but what I can’t allow is a breach of trust,” Frey said, adding that trust is central to the role of police chief and not secondary to it.
The case centers on an anonymous complaint first brought to city officials alleging O’Hara had engaged in sexual relationships with city employees.
That initial investigation did not substantiate the underlying allegations, according to officials.
However, a later internal review found that O’Hara improperly interfered with the investigative process.
According to the findings, he deleted a contact from a city-issued phone that investigators believed was relevant to the inquiry and communicated about the investigation with individuals he had been directed not to contact.
Officials concluded these actions compromised the integrity of the review process
70-79, M
