The Minneapolis white man who was accused of shooting his Black neighbor in the neck was finally taken into police custody after an intense five-hour standoff with police early Monday morning.
John Herbert Sawchak, 54, was arrested and charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault, stalking, and harassment relating to the Oct. 23 shooting of 34-year-old Davis Moturi, according to KARE 11.
Allegedly, as Moturi was pruning a tree near their property line with his back to Sawchak’s home, people heard a loud “pop” noise and Moturi collapsed to the ground. When taken to the hospital, a puncture wound was found in his neck with a bullet lodged close to his spine. He is currently still in the hospital with a fractured spine, two broken ribs and a concussion.
Based on security footage from their home cameras, Moturi’s wife claimed that their white neighbor, Sawchak, was the one who shot her husband. They also claim that even before the shooting, Sawchak had been harassing the couple for over a year. Everything from throwing household items to yelling racial slurs. But despite Moturi’s best efforts to get the police involved, they never interfered.
More from KARE 11 on some of the encounters Moturi had with Sawchak:
Oct. 11, 2023: Moturi approached Sawchak to discuss the tree on their property line. Sawchak became irate, according to the criminal complaint, yelling at Moturi and using “racially charged language.” Sawchak told Moturi if he “touched” the tree, Sawchak would “take care of” him.
March 1, 2024: Sawchak approached Moturi while he was working outside his house on a ladder. While verbally harassing him, officials said Sawchak told Moturi that he would put him in the hospital.
April 5, 2024: Sawchak threw household items at Moturi from his 2nd-floor window.
The criminal complaint also alleges that in May 2024, Sawchak threatened Moturi by calling him a “Black bastard,” saying, “I’m going to kill you if you call the police again. All you people do is lie and commit crimes.”
It also alleges that Sawchak would yell racial slurs toward Moturi from his second-floor window and that he could be seen brandishing weapons, which included a knife and a gun. This all occurred when Moturi was shot in the neck Oct. 23.