The Minneapolis City Council will hear public comments on the city’s handling of a year-long dispute between neighbors that culminated in a shooting last month.

Davis Moturi, who is black, was trimming a tree in his yard with a chainsaw on Oct. 23 when he was allegedly shot by his white next-door neighborJohn Sawchak, 54 years old. A medical examination found that a small-caliber bullet had passed through Moturi’s neck and was embedded near his spine.

According to court documents, Moturi and his wife had filed at least 19 reports to police about threats and racist tirades by Sawchak since they moved into their home in the 3500 block of Grand Avenue in September 2023, including separate incidents in the weeks before the shooting in which Sawchak brandished a knife at Moturi and pointed a gun at him.

City leaders criticized the Minneapolis Police Department for allowing Sawchak to continue terrorizing the Moturi family, even though the Hennepin County Prosecutor’s Office issued an arrest warrant in July due to threats of violence. At the time of the shooting, Sawchak had three active warrants for his arrest.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara defended his department’s actions and said his officers were having difficulty convincing Sawchak, whom O’Hara characterized as a “recluse” who could be armed and dangerous, for it to come to light. Police finally arrested Sawchak on October 28. conducting a SWAT operation in his house.

Sawchak is charged with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, stalking and harassment committed by bias. He remains held in the Hennepin County Jail on $600,000 bail and his next court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 25.

On October 31, members of the Minneapolis City Council called for both an internal review and an independent audit of MPD’s handling of the case. Community activists also weighed in, saying MPD “neglected” to protect a black man from the constant threats (and eventual violence) of his white neighbor.

The NAACP and members of the Minneapolis Police Department are partnering to help address neighborhood disputes across the city as part of a new initiative. The partnership, according to the city, will allow NAAC officers and staff to work with crime prevention specialists, social workers and others to resolve conflicts between neighbors. Details about this partnership are being discussed at a press conference at 11 a.m.

The City Council will hear from residents about the case and the impending review on Tuesday during a Committee of the Whole meeting at 1:30 p.m. Please check back for updates.