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The man accused of shooting a neighbor in Minneapolis had a history of threats, harassment

The man accused of shooting a neighbor in Minneapolis had a history of threats, harassment

The man accused of shooting a neighbor in Minneapolis had a history of threats, harassment

An arrest warrant has been issued for a Minneapolis man after a yearlong pattern of harassment and intimidation by his neighbors ended in a shooting earlier this week, according to court documents.

John Herbert Souchak, 54, was charged with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, stalking and bias-motivated assault.

The victim, Davis Moturi, installed a security camera in his home to capture evidence of the escalating threats. Video of the incident Wednesday night shows him trimming a tree near the property line with Savczak’s apartment building before hearing a “pop.” Then the victim falls to the ground.

“I thought, ‘I need help.’ A part of my brain shut off,” Davis Moturi told 5 EYE-WITNESS NEWS from his hospital bed on Friday.

He called his wife, Caroline Motura, who rushed home.

“I found him — he was in the driveway, curled up in a fetal position in agony,” Caroline Moturi said.

She took the man to the hospital, but he did not realize that he had been shot.

According to the criminal complaint, a medical examination revealed that Davis Moturi was shot by a small-caliber bullet that lodged near his spine. The angle of the stab wound indicated that he was shot from above, and the bullet went through his neck before breaking his spine and at least two ribs.

Caroline Moturi told police Sawczak “almost certainly” shot her husband, according to the complaint.

A year of threats

In September 2023, the couple purchased their home in the 3500 block of Grand Avenue South. Since then, they told police they have faced numerous threats from Savchak, who lives in a second-floor apartment next door.

“It’s been hell,” Davis Moturi said of the ongoing ordeal.

A week before the shooting, Savchak allegedly told Motura: “Touch my tree one more time and I’ll kill you.” He threatened Davis Motura through a tree back in October 2023.

Other incidents included threats to “put the victim in hospital” while he was working on a ladder, having objects thrown at him from a second floor window and threateningly holding a knife in the window while threatening a couple. Recently, on October 14, Savchak pointed a gun at the victim from the window. Many of the threats were laced with racial slurs and slurs, according to the complaint.

A total of 19 incidents of vandalism, property damage, aggressive acts and threats were reported to the Moturis in the year they lived in the neighborhood.

“I’ve had to call the police so many times,” Davis told Moturi.

Months without arrest

Online documents show that Savchak has not yet been taken into custody. Court records show he has at least three other outstanding warrants related to “threats or acts of violence” against the victim and her neighbors.

Hennepin County District Attorney spokeswoman Mary Moriarty said her office charged Sawczak with threats of violence back in July “due to his conduct toward Mr. Moturi” and issued a warrant for his arrest. During Wednesday’s filing of charges in connection with the shooting, prosecutors learned of several incidents that occurred after the warrant was issued.

“Mr. Moturi and his wife suffered from Mr. Sawchak’s aggressive behavior for more than a year after they purchased their home in September 2023,” the prosecutor’s office said. “We will continue to do everything in our power to bring Mr. Sawchak to justice and protect Mr. Moturi, his wife, and the wider community from his violent behavior.”

District 8 City Councilwoman Andrea Jenkins — who represents the Moturi family — sent a letter with the support of fellow council members, who expressed their outrage that Savchak was never arrested on these outstanding warrants and left to terrorize the family, who had repeatedly reported the threats.

“We are writing today with dismay at the Department of Health’s failure to protect a Minneapolis resident from a clear, ongoing and widely reported threat from his neighbor,” the letter, addressed to Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O’Hara, said.

The letter alleges that MPD failed to file reports with Moriarty’s office when Moturi was told Sawczak had threatened them with a knife and then a gun in the weeks before the shooting. In addition, the letter states that “MPD informed the HCAO that it did not intend to execute the warrant ‘due to officer safety concerns.'”

“MPD’s failure to act made Mr. Moturi ask, ‘Am I not human like you?’ We echo Mr. Moturi’s heart-wrenching question about why MPD failed to protect this black resident from a clear and serious threat, and why they continue to do so without cooperating with the District Attorney’s Office and arresting the suspect,” the letter reads. . “We also have many questions about how and why MPD leadership and the mayor allowed this situation to escalate.”

Chief O’Hara lashes out

In an impassioned news conference Friday, O’Hare’s chief defended his police department’s handling of the case and blamed the media, the Hennepin County District Attorney’s Office, the Minneapolis City Council and even the victim for the dispute turning violent.

O’Hara said officers tried numerous times to arrest Sawchak, but he never left his home and did not respond to police attempts to make contact.

He said that given the suspect is mentally ill and known to have a gun, there is a “high” likelihood that the execution of a high-risk search warrant will result in a violent confrontation.

“We wanted to arrest the suspect where he would have the least access to a firearm. It’s outside the residence,” O’Hara said, adding that until Wednesday, police only had a warrant for threats made by Sawczak. “Unfortunately, the suspect in this case is a recluse and rarely leaves the house.”

O’Hara went on to accuse Davis Moturi of not notifying the TIR lieutenant when Souchak left the house. He said Davis Moturi should have left the tree on his property alone after Sawczak threatened him.

“The situation escalated in part because of the actions that were precipitated by the victim,” O’Hara said.

At the time, the chief addressed “the current rhetoric around the police” and said it “hinders our ability to make lawful arrests.”

“Whoever says the cops don’t want to arrest this person is just wrong. Frankly, the officers, however, are scared. They fear being held accountable if they make a mistake trying to do their job and protect the public,” O’Hara said. “… You’ll be damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.”

The chief also expressed his frustration with the letter from city councillors, claiming no one tried to call him before sending it. Jenkins, who was present at the press conference, told reporters that she spoke with O’Hara, Frey, Moriarty and the TIR inspector “many, many times” before Wednesday’s shooting.

O’Hara answered just two questions from the media before leaving the briefing room, but Councilman Jenkins led him into the hallway, where they had a heated exchange behind closed doors before ending with a hug.

Jenkins didn’t mince words when asked about O’Hara’s comments that officers were afraid to confront Sawczak at his home.

“I can tell you this: We pay our officers a lot of money to do the job they signed up to do, so they have to be willing to do their job,” Jenkins said. “I think that’s what the police chief said, that everybody has to do their job.”

Moturi said “he knows there is no defense to what happened,” in response to Chief O’Hara’s explanation during the press conference. He called O’Hara’s remarks offensive and disagreed with his account of events. According to Mathuri, “When I asked for help, crickets.”

He also told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he speculated that his actions contributed to the shooting “so despicably and so rudely.”

“They treated me like I was a criminal because they were wrong and they couldn’t explain it,” Moturi said. “I feel like I’m being treated this way because of the color of my skin.”