MINNEAPOLIS — Police Chief Brian O’Hara has resigned amid allegations that he tried to sidetrack investigators who were looking into reports of sexual intimacy with a city employee. O’Hara, age 47, was hired from New Jersey to be the Minneapolis chief 3-1/2 years ago. Mayor Jacob Frey announced O’Hara’s departure at a news conference:
“Everyone makes mistakes, including me, 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. When trust is broken, it becomes extremely difficult to continue leading effectively.”
An investigation into the dalliance allegation found O’Hara intentionally deleted a contact card for a city employee from his city-issued cell phone. The core allegations of sexual misconduct was not substantiated by investigators.
O’Hara. Started police career as an officer in Newark, New Jersey. Served as public safety director and deputy mayor before taking the chief job in Minneapolis. Married with two children who live on the East Coast.