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Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara has resigned from his position after he was found to have “interfered” with an investigation into his conduct, according to city police. Mayor Jacob Frey.
Frey said Tuesday that O’Hara, who has led the department since November 2022, came under scrutiny after an anonymous complaint was received last year “alleging that the chief had engaged in sexually intimate relationships with city employees.”
“An external investigation was conducted, extensive interviews were completed, and numerous staff members participated. Several months ago, that investigation concluded and we received a report indicating that the allegations were unsubstantiated. Those allegations remain unsubstantiated,” Frey said.
“However, today I received a report of the findings of an additional investigation that showed Chief O’Hara interfered with the investigation process,” he added. “Specifically, investigators discovered that he intentionally deleted an individual’s contact card from his city-issued cell phone during the original investigation in an attempt to protect that evidence of his connection to the person from investigators. And although he was ordered not to discuss the investigation itself with anyone, he told another city employee that his city cell phone had been taken away for the investigation.”
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Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara speaks during a news conference in Minneapolis on January 10, 2026. (Jen Golbeck/AP)
“Although investigators have concluded that this interference does not change their final conclusion contained in the original report – in other words, the allegations of relationships with city employees – the interference itself is a breach of trust. Because of that, I informed the chief that I would discipline him up to and including termination, and he resigned. I have accepted his resignation,” Frey also said, calling the move an “extremely painful decision.”
Assistant Principal Katie Blackwell will now take over O’Hara’s position, according to Frey.
O’Hara was the chief of the Minneapolis Police Department during the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting and during the Operation Metro Surge federal crackdown on immigration earlier this year.
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey arrives at the U.S. Capitol to meet with Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., on Jan. 29, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
“Everyone makes mistakes, including me. But what I cannot allow is a breach of trust. When you are head of the Minneapolis Police Department, Confidence is not secondary to the job, it is the job,” Frey said Tuesday.
“And when trust is broken, it is extremely difficult to continue to lead effectively,” he added. “MPD has worked hard to rebuild credibility and trust with the community and within its own ranks. Our staff and residents need to know they can trust not only the department, but also the person who leads it. While the right decision was clear, it was not made lightly.”
The city still has 17 open complaints against O’Hara, separate from the investigation that resulted in disciplinary action, and will continue to investigate, mayor’s office spokeswoman Jennifer Lor told The Associated Press.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara speaks during a news conference about the shooting at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 28, 2025. (Tim Evans/Reuters)
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Lor could not comment on the nature of those complaints.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
