Prosecution of man accused of shooting neighbor paused after 2nd incompetency finding
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The Hennepin County Attorney’s office announced Thursday it is pausing prosecution against John Sawchak, who allegedly shot his next door neighbor last October.
The decision from the attorney’s office follows a doctor’s determination that Sawchak is incompetent to stand trial.
Prosecutors had said earlier they would challenge a previous ruling that Sawchak was mentally unfit to stand trial.
However, after a second doctor’s evaluation, they withdrew that objection.
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“The HCAO retained an expert to alleviate any questions about Mr. Sawchak’s competency. That expert, who has evaluated Mr. Sawchak twice in the past, opined that he is incompetent,” says a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. “We then withdrew our competency challenge, and our Adult Services Division will review the case for potential civil commitment.”
Sawchak, who is white, allegedly used racial slurs to harass and threaten his neighbor Davis Moturi, who is Black.
Moturi had been reporting the harassment to police for months leading up to the shooting. He says sometimes Sawchak pointed weapons at him and threatened to kill him.
The spokesperson said the county attorney’s office expects Sawchak to remain in custody and that they would resume prosecution should he be restored to competency.
An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for Friday morning.