
Minneapolis city officials will receive a report Wednesday from the City Auditor about the death of Allison Lussier and the non-fatal shooting of Davis Moturi. Both incidents raised public anger and criticism of the Minneapolis Police Department.
The family of Allison Lussier has steadfastly maintained that they believe the 47-year mother had been killed by an abusive ex-boyfriend.
Lussier was found dead in her North Loop apartment in February of 2024. The initial Medical Examiner’s investigation into Lussier’s death focused on the possibility of a drug overdose.
That report listed the cause of death as an injury to her brain but listed the manner of death as “undetermined.”
Family members acknowledged Lussier struggled with substance use disorder but say that police investigators failed to investigate the multiple instances of domestic violence Lussier reported to police in the years leading up to her death.
The after-action review comes a week after Police Chief Brian O’Hara apologized to the family for mischaracterizing Lussier’s drug use.
The city auditor's independent review of the case is intended to identify issues with the police response to improve future policymaking and training.
MPD’s homicide unit continues to investigate the case.
In the fall of 2024, Moturi was shot by his neighbor.
It happened after months of asking the police for help, as that neighbor's harassment escalated.
John Sawchak, a white man, allegedly hurled racial slurs and death threats at Moturi, a Black man, who lived in fear for a year.
Moturi called the police at least 19 times leading up to the shooting.
But he says officers said they couldn't do anything unless Sawchack came out of the house.
"This man tried to kill me. And they're just like okay, well, here's a blue card,” he said. “You should just move. And it's like, wait, what? Like, he's trying to kill me. And you know, they just didn't care. And I know I didn't have the right complexion for protection"
After Moturi was shot and hospitalized, it took MPD about five days to arrest Sawchak.
Initially, Police Chief Brian O'Hara placed more blame on Moturi than his own department.
Eventually, O'Hara apologized and said MPD would conduct an internal investigation over the matter.
The results of that investigation have not been made public.
