Minneapolis Police Chief Apologizes for Comments

During a news conference on Thursday, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara expressed his regret after previously commenting on crimes involving “a group of East African children.”

O’Hara made these remarks during an interview on November 11. Following his comments, there has been a petition on Change.org demanding an apology, which has garnered around 629 signatures. This came after discussions with Somali leaders who do not speak English.

“The Somali community here in Minneapolis has graciously welcomed me, and for that, I’m thankful,” O’Hara noted. “Over the past three years, we’ve been collaborating to tackle some significant issues in our community.”

He further stated, “Sometimes we must confront the realities of the challenges we face, and we need the community’s partnership to address these crucial problems. I apologize if my words were taken in a way that caused hurt; that was never my goal.”

O’Hara mentioned to WCCO that gang-related activities contribute to crime, with many perpetrators involved in offenses like vandalism and carjackings not being local residents. He also cited the challenges posed by lenient local prosecutors and the judicial system.

In his interview, O’Hara described the situation: “These aren’t our local kids; they are the ones arriving in Dinkytown in their mother’s luxury cars, unfamiliar with the area.” He added that the victim killed and another injured in the October 31 shooting were not from Minneapolis.

O’Hara had remarked, “We have a group of East African kids coming from various areas, not limited to one community.” Days earlier, Minneapolis Councilman Jamal Osman, who had just won re-election on a platform advocating for restorative justice and violence prevention, experienced a carjacking.