Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, brought in to implement reforms following the tragic death of George Floyd, has opted to resign rather than face disciplinary measures, Mayor Jacob Frey announced on Tuesday.
O’Hara, who had been at the helm during a recent federal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, was under scrutiny over allegations of having inappropriate relationships with city employees.
Although these allegations were not proven, Mayor Frey revealed that investigators discovered O’Hara had meddled in the investigation process.
The accusations against him include deleting a contact card from his city-issued phone to conceal evidence and disclosing the investigation to another city employee, despite being instructed to maintain confidentiality, as stated in a reprimand obtained by The Associated Press.
Faced with the possibility of disciplinary action, which could have led to his dismissal, O’Hara decided to step down, according to Frey.
“This was a deeply difficult decision, but I determined it was essential to uphold public trust and was the right step for our city moving forward,” Frey stated.
“Trust is not secondary to the job. It is the job,” he added.
The city still has 17 open complaints against O’Hara — separate from the investigation that resulted in disciplinary action — and will continue investigating, mayor’s office spokesperson Jennifer Lor said. Lor could not comment on the nature of those complaints.
O’Hara did not immediately respond to a LinkedIn message seeking comment.
O’Hara became the chief in 2022 as the department was at the center of a nationwide reckoning over racism and brutality in policing. Two years prior, Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white officer in Minneapolis, igniting global Black Lives Matter protests and calls to defund the police.
Last year, Minneapolis entered an agreement with the federal government to overhaul its police training and use-of-force policies in the wake Floyd’s murder.
The US Department of Justice under President Donald Trump canceled the agreement months later.
O’Hara oversaw the law enforcement response to the deadly Annunciation Catholic School shooting last August.
He criticized immigration enforcement tactics in December after a federal agent kneeled on a woman’s back during an arrest and then tried to drag her to a car.
Minneapolis police faced scrutiny from all sides during Trump’s immigration crackdown by people who thought the officers were helping or hindering federal agents and protests.
Assistant Police Chief Katie Blackwell has stepped in to lead the department during the search for a new chief, Frey said.
