Hennepin County Attorney finds John Sawchak incompetent for trial
A Minneapolis man accused of shooting his neighbor while he was cutting a tree on his front lawn has been found incompetent to stand trial.
John Sawchak was arrested in October 2024 in the shooting of his neighbor, Davis Moturi.
It took Minneapolis police four days to get Sawchak into custody.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis man accused of shooting his neighbor has been found incompetent to stand trial by a second doctor.
The backstory
John Sawchak was arrested in October of 2024, accused of shooting his neighbor, Davis Moturi, who was outside doing yard work at the time. He was shot in the neck while cutting down a tree in his front yard.
The incident also sparked outrage against Minneapolis police as they took four days to get Sawchak into custody. Minneapolis City Council members wanted to know why.
What we know
The incident sparked the legislation of the Red Flag Law, which authorizes a judge to issue an Extreme Risk Protection Order that allows police to remove firearms from a person if that person is at risk of harming themselves or others.
What's next
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office withdrew its request for a competency hearing, and agreed the court should enter a finding of incompetency.
The Source
Information on the case was provided by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office on Wednesday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
30-07-2025
- New York Post
Notorious ax murderer who whacked his family released from prison early thanks to law backed by Gov. Tim Walz
An ax murderer jailed for life for hacking his parents and two younger siblings to death when he was a teen has just been released early thanks to a Minnesota law backed by Gov. Tim Walz. David Brom, now 53, was cut loose from a state prison on authorized work release on Tuesday more than a decade earlier than he was initially meant to be freed, Fox9 reported. The convicted killer, who was just 16 at the time of the infamous 1988 murders, was initially supposed to be locked up well into his 70s. Advertisement 3 David Brom, now 53, was cut loose from a state prison in Lino Lakes, Minnesota on authorized work release on Tuesday. Minnesota Department of Corrections But he became eligible for release — earlier than expected — under a Minnesota law passed in 2023 that banned life sentences without parole for juveniles. Gov. Walz, the failed Democratic vice presidential contender, backed the law and approved it after it was passed by the Dem-controlled state House and Senate. Advertisement Lawmakers with the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party said that the law was changed to comply with a Supreme Court ruling that banned sentences of life without parole for juvenile offenders, according to KTTC-TV. Brom served more than 35 years in prison after he was convicted of slashing his parents, Paulette and Bernard, sister Diane and brother Richard, to death in their Rochester home Feb. 18, 1988. All four victims were discovered with multiple ax wounds to their heads and bodies. Brom, who tried to argue he was mentally ill at the time, was ultimately found guilty by a jury. Advertisement 3 The convicted killer, who was just 16 at the time of the 1988 murders, was initially supposed to be locked up well into his 70s. Star Tribune via Getty Images Still, he and other already-convicted offenders became eligible for parole when the amended law was introduced by Minnesota lawmakers as part of a public safety spending bill. Under the changes, the law now allows for juvenile perps who are sentenced to life to be fully eligible for parole after 15 years behind bars. Brom became retroactively up for release in 2018. If the old law was still in place, he wouldn't have been eligible for parole at least 2037. Advertisement Republican state Sen. Jordan Rasmusson had tried to fight to have the law amended so juvenile offenders had to serve at least 25 years — arguing the new terms were too lenient. 3 Brom served more than 35 years in prison after he was convicted of slashing his parents, Paulette and Bernard, sister Diane and brother Richard, to death in their Rochester home Feb. 18, 1988. Star Tribune via Getty Images 'I warned of this exact scenario during the 2023 public safety debate, and it is precisely the kind of outcome I sought to prevent,' Rasmusson told the Valley News in the wake of Brom's release. 'The Democrats' soft-on-crime approach has led to dangerous early releases like this one. The release of David Brom is a profound failure of justice and a painful betrayal to the memory of his victims.' 'Brom committed one of the most horrific crimes in our state's history. Releasing him now undermines the severity of that act and the suffering it caused,' he continued. Under the terms of his release, Brom will still be under supervision and subjected to GPS monitoring at a Twin Cities halfway house. The Post reached out to Gov. Tim Walz's office but didn't hear back immediately.
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Yahoo
Sen. Anderson, Nicole Mitchell special election date declared by Gov. Walz
The Brief Minnesota voters in Senate districts 29 and 47 will have the opportunity to fill vacant seats left by the death of Sen. Bruce Anderson and the resignation of Nicole Mitchell. Special elections will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4. If necessary, special primary elections will be held on Aug. 26. Those looking to run can file an affidavit for candidacy with the Secretary of State, or with county auditors within each senate district from July 30, until Aug. 6 at 5 p.m. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A date to elect the replacements for seats left vacated by Senator Bruce Anderson and former Senator Nicole Mitchell has been declared by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Mitchell, Anderson special elections What we know On Tuesday, Gov. Walz formally issued two writs of special election to fill the now vacant seats. On July 21, 2025, Minnesota Senate GOP officials confirmed Anderson had died unexpectedly at the age of 75. He was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2012, and was actively serving at the time, representing Senate District 29 – encompassing cities such as Becker, Monticello and Buffalo in central Minnesota. On July 25, 2024, former Sen. Nicole Mitchell resigned from the Minnesota Senate after she was found guilty of first-degree burglary stemming from an April 2024 incident during which she broke into the home of her stepmother. Mitchell was in her first term serving Senate District 47, which covers the Woodbury area. She was elected in 2022. Special election dates Dig deeper Special elections to fill the vacancies in Districts 29 and 47 will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. If necessary, special primary elections for nominations will be held on Aug. 26. Those looking to run can file an affidavit for candidacy with the Secretary of State, or with county auditors within each senate district from July 30, until Aug. 6 at 5 p.m. The Source Information provided by the Office of Governor Walz. Solve the daily Crossword
29-07-2025
What to know about Nevada's gun laws after Las Vegas man opened fire in Manhattan
As investigators work to piece together clues behind Monday's mass shooting in Manhattan, a central question may be how the Las Vegas man was able to acquire his weapons, given Nevada's strict gun control laws. The gunman, 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura, used a M4-style semiautomatic rifle and had a .357 caliber revolver at the time of the attack, according to law enforcement sources. The revolver was legally purchased, sources told ABC News. The shooter had a concealed weapon permit issued in Nevada, according to investigators. It is not immediately clear how the shooter acquired the rifle, which was used in the incident. It is against New York state laws to transport or possess assault-type weapons. While Nevada does not have a similar ban, the state has undertaken several measures since 2017, when 60 people were killed and hundreds were injured in a mass shooting in Las Vegas, to limit firearm access to people who pose a danger to themselves and others, according to David Pucino, the legal director and deputy chief counsel for Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. "In our most recent report card for states, Nevada scored a B- when it came to gun laws," he told ABC News. Here is a breakdown of Nevada's gun laws. Background checks Nevada is an open carry state for both firearms and larger rifles and shotguns. Any adult over 18 can purchase a firearm without a permit. In 2020, a law was enacted that required all private firearm purchases to undergo a background check. Concealed carry permit Nevada allows local law enforcement to give concealed carry permits to handgun users if they meet certain criteria. The handgun owner must be over 21 years old, pass a background check and complete a certified course on gun safety, according to state law. Concealed carry applicants who have a criminal conviction, are on parole, have been voluntarily or involuntarily committed to a mental health facility in the five years before the application, or have a record of habitual alcohol or drug use are prohibited from getting the permit, according to state law. Places where guns are prohibited Although open carry laws allow firearm users to have their weapons on them, several locations in Nevada are off-limits, according to state law. Gun owners cannot take their weapons into public schools, government buildings, such as courts and jails, and any business that has clear signage that it prohibits firearms, according to state law. State laws allow for guns to be brought into hospitals, places of worship, sports arenas and parks that do not have this signage. Extreme Risk Protection Order In 2019, Nevada passed its version of a "red flag" law that allows the courts to remove firearms from a person if they have been proven to be a danger. Under the Extreme Risk Protection Order, individuals, law enforcement, family or household members can file a petition demonstrating to a judge that an individual poses a danger to themselves or others. The subject of the petition has the right to appeal the order if a judge approves it, according to the law. Firearm prohibitions for mental health issues Nevada prohibits firearms to anyone who has "been adjudicated as mentally ill or has been committed to any mental health facility by a court" in any state. Additionally, law enforcement cannot approve a concealed carry permit to any applicant who has "been voluntarily or involuntarily admitted to a mental health facility during the immediately preceding 5 years," according to state law. Device safety, storage Nevada does not have a law that mandates firearms be stored securely when not in use. In 2023, the state enacted a law that requires licensed gun dealers to provide gun owners with a locking device for their weapons and have signage in their stores that "informs a buyer that the negligent storage of a firearm may result in imprisonment or a fine." Ghost guns In 2022, Nevada enacted a ban on ghost guns, which are firearms without serial numbers that are sold as kits that users assemble on their own. It is one of 15 states that created legislation regulating those weapons, which law enforcement has flagged as untraceable.
