Minneapolis city leaders are starting a search for a new police chief, after now-former chief Brian O’Hara resigned Tuesday after allegedly interfering with an internal investigation into his conduct.
Just weeks ago, Mayor Jacob Frey had nominated O’Hara to serve a second term.
News of O’Hara’s sudden departure — and details about the investigations — brought statements of sharp criticism of the mayor and the police chief from some city council members and community groups.
Council President Elliot Payne said he had heard “rumors” of those allegations in 2025 and asked the mayor questions about it ahead of the nomination process. But Payne told MPR News on Wednesday that he was not informed that there had been a formal investigation until O’Hara resigned.
“I’m not shocked that he resigned. I’m shocked that he was nominated in the first place, now that we see the full picture of the investigations,” Payne said.
In a statement posted to social media, Council Member Jason Chavez said O’Hara should not have been renominated.
“Under Mayor Frey’s leadership, we have seen a consistent lack of accountability at MPD and this was no different,” Chavez said.
O’Hara already faced challenges to his renomination. Some council members said they were hesitant to commit to reappointing him to the job, citing the police department’s $19 million in overspending in 2025.
Council Member Soren Stevenson said in a statement that the city needs more transparent and accountable leadership.
“The mayor’s decision to nominate Chief O’Hara while serious accusations have been rumored for months, an investigation into complaints was opened, and the chief has been unable to answer for massive overspending and serious lack of accountability from the Minneapolis Police Department is a betrayal of what the people of our city need and deserve,” Stevenson said.
Several community groups advocating for changes in policing in Minneapolis have also been critical of O’Hara’s work, questioning his handling of the cases of Allison Lussier and Davis Moturi. Advocates and some council members also pressed the chief to do more to protect residents during the federal immigration enforcement operation.
The advocacy group Twin Cities Coalition for Justice said the change in leadership was overdue.
“While community members and impacted family members applaud the resignation of Chief O’Hara, we regret that none of his previous failures were enough to end his tenure sooner,” the group said in a statement posted to social media.
Payne called O’Hara’s track record “mixed, as any person in that role would likely have.”
O’Hara was unanimously approved for the role by the city council in 2022. It was a tumultuous time for the department, amid public distrust exacerbated by the murder of George Floyd and a wave of officer resignations. Payne credited O’Hara with showing strong leadership upon starting in the city — but said he needed to do more to implement court-ordered police reforms and maintain public trust.
Mayor Frey was a consistent ally of O’Hara, applauding his leadership and his work to hire more police officers.
City Council Member Jamal Osman was also a supporter of O’Hara. In a statement posted to social media on Tuesday night, Osman called the news of the investigation and O’Hara’s resignation “difficult and deeply disappointing.”
“My support for Chief O’Hara’s reappointment was based on my own direct experiences working with him and seeing the progress our city was beginning to make around public safety and community trust,” Osman said.
O’Hara had been under investigation for an alleged sexual relationship with a city employee. Investigators delivered their first report to the city in the summer of 2025. In that report, they said they could not substantiate the allegations. But the case resurfaced later last year after a witness raised allegations that O’Hara interfered with the original investigation.
Investigators with Forsgren Fisher McCalmont DeMarea Tysver LLP said in their latest report that they believe O’Hara deleted data from his city-issued cell phone that was relevant to the investigation, and talked about the investigation to other employees.
O’Hara’s departure leaves the future of two major public safety positions in the city uncertain; the city council has also declined to confirm the renomination of Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette.
Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell is now serving as the city’s acting police chief, while the city searches for an interim leader for the department.
