Democratic-Farmer-Labor Mayor Jacob Frey announced Tuesday that Brian O’Hara, the police chief who oversaw reforms made by Minneapolis in the wake of George Floyd’s death, has resigned rather than face consequences for allegedly deleting evidence.
Frey stated that when he informed O’Hara he would face discipline over alleged interference with an investigation, O’Hara chose to resign instead.
“I accepted the resignation,” Frey said. “It was an extremely painful decision, obviously, but I concluded it was necessary to maintain public trust and the right way to move forward as a city.”
Frey added: “When you serve as chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, trust is not secondary to the job—it is the job. When trust is broken, it becomes extremely difficult to continue leading effectively.”
Investigations are ongoing into allegations that O’Hara had intimate relations with several city staff members.
