Racist Neighbor Terrorized Couple Before Minneapolis Shooting: Police

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis man spent over a year terrorizing his next-door neighbors — a married couple — before allegedly shooting the husband in the back in a dispute over a tree near their property line, according to police.

John H. Sawchak, 54, faces charges of attempted murder, assault, stalking, and harassment motivated by bias. He faces up to 25 years in prison and a $37,500 fine.

Before the shooting, Sawchak had at least three active warrants associated with prior threats or acts of violence against this victim and other neighbors, police said. Sawchak "has actively evaded police during prior attempts to contact or arrest him," according to authorities.

On the evening of Oct. 23, Minneapolis police responded to a hospital on a report of a gunshot victim being treated.

A man named Davis Moturi had been transported to the hospital from his home on Grand Avenue South in Minneapolis "for an unknown medical issue that had caused him to collapse," the criminal complaint states.

Moturi was found by his wife, in the fetal position on the ground, near an entry door to their home when his wife got home from work.

Medical providers identified a relatively small puncture wound in the back of Moturi's neck, and further evaluation revealed a bullet lodged near the spine, police said.

Moturi did not remember being shot, according to the criminal complaint.

Moturi's wife reported to police that her husband had been outside earlier in the day using a chainsaw to prune a tree near their property line.

The wife identified their neighbor, Sawchak, as the person who had almost certainly fired the shot, according to the criminal complaint.

Medical providers told police that a small caliber weapon had been used to shoot Moturi, so it was possible that the victim didn’t immediately realize he had been shot.

The wife told police that Sawchak recently said: “Touch my tree again and I’ll kill you,” within the previous week, according to authorities.

Sawchak made "countless" other threats and engaged in almost constant harassment of the victim and his wife since they purchased their home in September 2023, the criminal complaint states.

Moturi and his wife have called the police to report at least 19 prior incidents of vandalism, property destruction, theft, harassment, hate speech, verbal threats, and threatened physical assaults, according to authorities.

The wife told police that Sawchak often watched them from a 2nd story window inside his home. The gunshot appears to have a downward trajectory, entering through Moturi 's neck and fracturing his spine and at least two ribs, police said.

Later that night, the wife went home to pack up some things and leave for the night. Sawchak verbally harassed her and shined a strobe light on her as she left her home, police said.

The next day, Moturi and his wife were able to access home security footage from cameras in their house.

The footage shows Moturi working outside near the tree at the property line with his back turned toward Sawchak's home. After what sounds like a faint "crack" or "pop," the man is seen suddenly collapsing to the ground, police said.

According to the criminal complaint, police records of prior incidents between October 2023 and the date of the shooting include:

• Oct. 11, 2023 – The victim approached the defendant to discuss a tree on their shared property line. The defendant became irate, yelling and using racially charged language, warning the victim that if he "touched" the tree, the defendant would “take care of” him.
• March 1, 2024 – The defendant approached the victim while he was working outside on a ladder. During the encounter, the defendant verbally harassed the victim and threatened to “put [him] in the hospital.”
• April 5, 2024 – The defendant threw household items at the victim from his second-floor window.
• May 28, 2024 – The defendant verbally threatened the victim, using a racial slur and saying, “I’m going to kill you if you call the police again. All you people do is lie and commit crimes.”
• Aug. 7, 2024 – From his second-floor window, the defendant threatened the victim while brandishing a large knife, saying he would kill the victim and his wife.
• Oct. 8, 2024 – The defendant once again screamed racial slurs from his window, threatening the victim while brandishing a knife.
• Oct. 14, 2024 – The victim reported seeing the defendant outside his home with a firearm. The defendant allegedly pointed the firearm at the victim through the window.

After the Oct. 23 shooting, Police Chief Brian O’Hara announced that a full post-incident review of the incident would be completed.

"I have been very clear in heralding my support of our officers and their dedicated, caring work”, said Chief O’Hara.

"They do care, and they are working very hard. But the presence of hard work is not enough when we are all working to build a better department. We must continually review our actions to ensure we are doing and being our best. Under my leadership, we will be a learning organization. We will take the time to review the facts surrounding the incidents that can have a rippling impact that starts with a victim and continues throughout the community. The shooting of Davis Moturi is one of those incidents."