Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara resigned Wednesday after Mayor Jacob Frey said the chief interfered with an investigation into his conduct [1].
The resignation comes at a critical time for the Minneapolis Police Department, as the city continues to navigate systemic reform and attempts to rebuild public trust. The mayor said the chief's actions compromised the integrity of the department's internal processes.
According to Mayor Frey, O'Hara interfered with a probe into alleged claims regarding relationships the chief had with department employees [2]. The investigation focused on whether those relationships violated professional standards, or created conflicts of interest within the force.
Frey said the move to accept the resignation was an "extremely painful decision" [3]. The mayor said the leadership of the police department requires absolute transparency and accountability to the public.
"When you serve as chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, trust is not secondary to the job; it is the job," Frey said [3].
The resignation was officially announced on May 27, 2026 [4]. The city has not yet named an interim replacement to lead the department during the transition period.
Frey said the interference undermined the department's broader reform efforts — a process that has been central to the city's governance following years of civil unrest and police scrutiny. The mayor's office said the integrity of the investigation must be maintained to ensure the department remains accountable to the citizens of Minneapolis.
“"Trust is not secondary to the job; it is the job."”
The departure of Chief O'Hara removes a top leader during a period of ongoing police reform in Minneapolis. Because the resignation stems from allegations of interfering with an internal investigation into personal relationships with staff, it highlights the tension between leadership accountability and the department's efforts to project a new image of transparency to the public.
