Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara resigns after allegations he interfered with investigation
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Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara resigned Tuesday after facing discipline from Mayor Jacob Frey over allegations O'Hara interfered with an investigation into his alleged sexual relations with city employees.
“Trust is not secondary to the job, it is the job,” Frey said. “When trust is broken it becomes extremely difficult to continue leading effectively.”
Frey announced at an evening news conference he had accepted O’Hara’s resignation after informing the chief he would face discipline up to and including firing.
Frey read the report Tuesday morning. He accepted O’Hara’s resignation during a conversation later that afternoon.
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O’Hara joined the Minneapolis Police Department in November 2022 after serving as deputy mayor and public safety director for Newark, N.J., where he helped police adhere to a U.S. Department of Justice consent decree.
He brought with him to Minneapolis the promise to replenish the ranks, rebuild trust and transform the police department after the police murder of George Floyd and exodus of officers that followed.
At the time, he was voted in unanimously by the City Council.
At the press conference Tuesday evening, Frey credited O’Hara with making progress on reforms and helping rebuild the police department. But he said city residents should be able to trust the person leading the department.
Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell will take over as acting chief effective immediately. Frey said no decision has been made on who will serve as interim chief, but Blackwell is up for the job.
The report, conducted by Forsgren Fisher McCalmont DeMarea Tysver LLP, said their investigation could not substantiate the allegations of sexual relationships with city employees.
Investigators said in the report O’Hara likely “knowingly and intentionally” deleted a contact card from his city-issued cell phone for a witness in an initial investigation into his conduct. They also said it was likely the chief disregarded explicit instructions not to discuss the investigation with others.
The original investigations into the allegations of sexual relationships were completed then released to the city in the summer of 2025.
However, the new investigation was opened after a witness shared a recording of a phone call in which the witness and a city employee discussed the initial investigation and allegations against O’Hara. According to the report, that phone call raised concerns that O’Hara interfered with the investigation.
Earlier this month, Frey nominated O’Hara to serve a second term.
The City Council had yet to vote on his nomination. A public hearing for his renomination was scheduled early June.
Several council members have repeatedly criticized the department for not making enough progress toward reforms under O’Hara. Operation Metro Surge brought broader criticism, with some council members wanting MPD to do more to protect residents from federal agents.
After he was renominated, Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw, who is generally supportive of MPD, told MPR News she was undecided.
She worried about MPD going $19 million over budget last year and pointed to more than a dozen open complaints filed with the city's police department against O'Hara.
