Hennepin County Attorney's Office to challenge incompetency finding for south Minneapolis man accused of harassing, shooting neighbor
MINNEAPOLIS — The Hennepin County Attorney's Office says it will challenge a ruling that deemed a south Minneapolis man, who allegedly shot his neighbor in the neck following months of harassment, incompetent to stand trial.
John Sawchak faces second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, stalking and harassment charges. His neighbor, Davis Moturi, had made at least 19 police reports against Sawchak for a range of incidents including vandalism and threats of physical assault. Moturi said he was doing yard work outside his home when Sawchak shot him.
In November, a judge ordered a competency evaluation to determine if Sawchak was fit to stand trial. In a post on X, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said her office "will challenge" the psychiatric evaluation.
Moturi's shooting sparked outrage from the community and calls for apologies and action from city leaders, including Police Chief Brian O'Hara. Court filings show neighbors filed restraining orders against him; in one case, a mother of three wrote that she was "really afraid that something terrible might happen before something is done."
The Minneapolis City Council ordered an independent review of the incident, which is expected to be completed by June.
Note: The above video first aired on Nov. 1, 2025.