Bail set at $1 million as Mpls. man asks for restraining order against neighbor he allegedly shot

At his first court appearance after allegedly shooting his neighbor in the neck in broad daylight following months of ongoing harassment, John Sawchak demanded to know when he would be allowed to get a restraining order against the people he is accused of victimizing.

Sawchak, 54, was appearing on four cases, the most recent and most serious being one count of second-degree attempted murder in the shooting of 34-year-old Davis Moturi in the 3500 block of Grand Avenue in south Minneapolis last week. Judge Jean Burdorf ordered Sawchak to be held in lieu of $1 million bail while saying he could be let out on conditional release if he could post $600,000 bail or bond.

"I don't think that's going to be happening," Sawchak said. "I'm not going to be able to make the bail, honestly."

Burdorf sided with the bail argument from Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Judith Cole. Elizabeth Karp, the Hennepin County public defender representing Sawchak, asked for $50,000 conditional release, noting that he has no felony convictions in his criminal history.

Karp said that Sawchak, who she said is dealing with health issues and has been deemed mentally incompetent and been civilly committed in the past, denies the allegations and plans to fight the charges.

If Sawchak is able to post the $600,000 bail, he will have to find somewhere else to live after Burdorf issued no-contact orders for Sawchak against his neighbors while his case moves through the courts.

Appearing in an orange jumpsuit with clear-rimmed eyeglasses, Sawchak stood with his arms behind his back and listened as Burdorf issued her ruling.

"How do I go about getting restraining orders against these people who have been stalking me?" he asked, as his attorney told him they could discuss it later.

Sawchak accused Moturi and his wife, Caroline, of "repeatedly coming on my property."

The four open cases argued on Tuesday all involved disputes between Sawchak with his neighbors. That included two counts of felony threats of violence after he allegedly threatened Davis Moturi with a knife and put dog feces in his mailbox in July. A gross misdemeanor count of causing emotional distress was filed in April and alleged several instances of harassment from Sawchak against the Moturis from October 2023 to April. The other case accuses Sawchak of misdemeanor assault against another neighbor.

At the bail hearing, Cole said there have been 10 restraining orders filed against Sawchak in the last 15 years.

Last week, Moturi was shot once in the neck while pruning a tree near the property line he shares with Sawchak. The bullet fractured his spine and broke two ribs.

The case led to allegations of negligence against the Minneapolis Police Department. Last weekend, Chief Brian O'Hara acknowledged that his police force failed to protect Moturi and issued an apology. For months, Moturi had called 911 and emailed police investigators about Sawchak's repeated threats, including an instance earlier this month when Sawchak allegedly pointed a firearm at him.

Caroline Moturi detailed in an online fundraiser that the shooting left her husband with a concussion and blood accumulating in his lungs. He has since been released from the hospital.

"I can't bring myself to think of where we would be had the angle of the bullet been slightly different," she wrote. "My husband is alive with no thanks to the MPD or Mayor [Jacob] Frey."

The previous week, Sawchak allegedly told Davis Moturi, "Touch my tree again, and I will shoot you," according to the criminal complaint.

In records provided to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Moturi once wrote to police: "We are living in hell."

On Monday night, no one answered a knock at their door at the Moturi home. A tree on the edge of their property was freshly cut. Sawchak's house was in a state of disrepair after a SWAT standoff from Sunday night to Monday morning. Police busted out windows and delivered a cellphone they hoped Sawchak would use to communicate with police. He refused to surrender until they announced their intention to tear gas his home.

The lawn of the home, which Sawchak has owned since 1992, according to property records, was left littered with broken glass and wood.

Karp said Sawchak has concerns about the state of his house, that the pipes will burst if it gets too cold.

Burdorf said if Sawchak can post bail, they will arrange to have him take one trip to his house to check on things with a police escort.

His next court date is set for Nov. 25.

City Council mulls review

Several Minneapolis City Council members said during a Tuesday committee meeting that they would like an independent after-incident review, rather than an internal review.

O'Hara and Frey said Monday a "post-incident review" would be done, but the council urged an outside look at the case, saying Black and white people are treated differently by police.

Council Member Jeremiah Ellison said MPD always seems to be able to de-escalate situations with white suspects, but when it's Black suspects, "it's a killing."

"Here we have someone who did shoot someone, and he's sitting in his home, and I don't find it acceptable," he said. "Black victims feel they're not getting the right kind of support and in a very obvious way. If the department feels like that's not a fair characterization, you've got to go out and you've got to prove that to the community. You've got to prove that to us."