Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, who took over the police department in the wake of George Floyd’s death, resigned Tuesday after an investigation found that he had interfered with a probe into his conduct.
Mayor Jacob Frey said he accepted O’Hara’s resignation.
“This is not about being intolerant of mistakes — everyone makes mistakes, including me,” Frey said at a news conference Tuesday evening. “But what I can’t allow is a breach of trust. When you serve as chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, trust is not secondary to the job; it is the job. And when trust is broken, it becomes extremely difficult to continue leading effectively.”
The matter began last year when the mayor’s office received an anonymous complaint alleging that O’Hara had engaged in sexual relationships with city employees. An outside investigation concluded several months ago and found that the allegations were unsubstantiated.
A subsequent inquiry, however, found that O’Hara “interfered with the investigation process,” Frey said.
An investigative report obtained by NBC News shows that O’Hara intentionally deleted a contact card from his city-issued cellphone “in an effort to shield that evidence of connection between Chief O’Hara and employee 2 from investigators.” According to the report, the contact card was on his phone on May 1, 2025, but had it been removed by May 7. It was the only contact card deleted, and investigators found no technical explanation for its disappearance. O’Hara denied deleting the contact in interviews conducted in June and April.
O’Hara was also found to have discussed the original investigation after he was given explicit instructions not to do so, the report says. Investigators said O’Hara told an employee that his phone had been taken as part of the probe.
Frey said the interference does not alter the outcome of the initial investigation but that it nonetheless constitutes “a breach of trust.” He said he had informed O’Hara that disciplinary action — up to and including termination — was forthcoming and that O’Hara chose to resign, instead.
In a formal letter, Frey said O’Hara would receive a written reprimand for “serious misconduct.”
The city has 17 other open complaints against O’Hara, mayor’s office spokesperson Jennifer Lor said. Lor said the complaints remain active, but she declined to provide further details.
Todd Barnette, commissioner of the Minneapolis Office of Community Safety, thanked O’Hara for his service.
“Chief O’Hara helped advance police reform efforts, replenish sworn staffing and guide the department through some of the city’s most challenging moments,” he said in a statement. “We will continue moving forward — building trust in our police department through transparency, accountability, and collaboration with community members.”
Assistant Police Chief Katie Blackwell will be acting chief effective immediately, Frey said.
