Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara Resigned After Receiving Written Reprimand From Mayor Jacob Frey
Published: May 26th 2026
MINNEAPOLIS MN: Former Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara resigned after receiving a written reprimand from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey following an investigation that concluded O’Hara interfered with a prior internal investigation involving allegations related to city employees.
The reprimand letter, dated May 26, 2026, states that a neutral investigation substantiated allegations that O’Hara interfered with an earlier investigation by deleting a contact card from his city-issued cellphone and discussing the investigation despite being instructed not to.
The original investigation involved allegations that O’Hara “had engaged in sexually intimate relationships with City employees,” according to the letter. Investigators ultimately determined those underlying allegations were “not substantiated.”
However, the investigation found that O’Hara interfered with the process by “knowingly and intentionally” deleting a contact card for a city employee from his city-issued cellphone “in an attempt to shield that evidence of your connection to the City employee from the investigators,” according to the reprimand.
The letter also states that O’Hara violated instructions not to discuss the investigation by disclosing to another city employee that his city-issued cellphone had been taken as part of the investigation.
Frey wrote that the conduct represented “a significant breach of trust” and said the actions damaged confidence in the leadership of the Minneapolis Police Department.
“MPD is working diligently to re-establish trust with the community, and the MPD Chief of Police is held to a high standard,” Frey wrote. “Your behavior, as substantiated by the investigation, demonstrates poor judgment, is inconsistent with the level of integrity this role requires, and has made it extraordinarily difficult for you to continue effectively in your role.”
The disciplinary action issued was a written reprimand.
The City of Minneapolis has not publicly announced any additional disciplinary action.