Bill Peterson, left, and Katie Blackwell/Minneapolis Police Department
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced Tuesday that First Precinct Inspector Bill Peterson will serve as interim chief of the police department following the resignation of former Chief Brian O’Hara.
O’Hara resigned on May 26 after investigators discovered that he interfered with a prior investigation involving allegations that he engaged in sexual relationships with city employees.
“Although the investigators have concluded that the underlying allegations from the original investigation remain not substantiated, your interference with the investigation risked the integrity of the investigation and constitutes a significant breach of trust,” Mayor Frey wrote in a letter to O’Hara.
At the time, Frey said in an email to the police department that Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell would serve as acting chief effective immediately.
“I am confident in her ability to provide steady leadership for the department moving forward,” Frey said.
Now, just a week later, Mayor Frey has named Peterson as interim chief, saying he is “the right leader for this moment.”
“He’s spent three decades serving Minneapolis, he’s earned the respect of officers across the department, and he understands that trust with the people of Minneapolis is paramount. Bill understands that trust is earned, and he has established a reputation of working every day to earn it,” the mayor said.
He thanked Blackwell for “stepping in at a critical time and providing strong leadership for the department over the past week.”
Peterson is a 30-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department and has served in leadership roles across patrol, special operations, pre-service training, and precinct command, Frey’s office said. Peterson has led the First Precinct since 2019.
“At a time when the Minneapolis Police Department needs experienced, steady leadership, I am honored to serve and ready to lead,” Peterson said. “My focus will be on maintaining stability, supporting officers, building on the progress we’ve made, strengthening trust with our community, and ensuring every resident feels safe in the city we are proud to serve.”
Blackwell previously sued Alpha News, journalist Liz Collin, and others over reporting tied to the documentary “The Fall of Minneapolis” and Collin’s book “They’re Lying.”
However, Hennepin County Judge Edward Wahl dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that multiple challenged statements questioning Blackwell’s testimony in the Derek Chauvin trial were “substantially true.”
The documentary’s “core message—that [Blackwell’s] statements conflicted with MPD’s policy manual—is substantially true,” Wahl wrote.
As part of that case, 14 current and former Minneapolis police officers signed sworn declarations saying they believe Blackwell perjured herself while testifying during Chauvin’s trial. A total of 33 officers signed declarations saying the restraint Chauvin used during the George Floyd incident was trained by the Minneapolis Police Department.
Frey said Peterson will serve as interim chief while the city conducts a national search for a permanent chief.
https://alphanews.org/acting-minneapolis-police-chief-katie-blackwell-replaced-after-one-week/
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced Tuesday that First Precinct Inspector Bill Peterson will serve as interim chief of the police department following the resignation of former Chief Brian O’Hara.
O’Hara resigned on May 26 after investigators discovered that he interfered with a prior investigation involving allegations that he engaged in sexual relationships with city employees.
“Although the investigators have concluded that the underlying allegations from the original investigation remain not substantiated, your interference with the investigation risked the integrity of the investigation and constitutes a significant breach of trust,” Mayor Frey wrote in a letter to O’Hara.
At the time, Frey said in an email to the police department that Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell would serve as acting chief effective immediately.
“I am confident in her ability to provide steady leadership for the department moving forward,” Frey said.
Now, just a week later, Mayor Frey has named Peterson as interim chief, saying he is “the right leader for this moment.”
“He’s spent three decades serving Minneapolis, he’s earned the respect of officers across the department, and he understands that trust with the people of Minneapolis is paramount. Bill understands that trust is earned, and he has established a reputation of working every day to earn it,” the mayor said.
He thanked Blackwell for “stepping in at a critical time and providing strong leadership for the department over the past week.”
Peterson is a 30-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department and has served in leadership roles across patrol, special operations, pre-service training, and precinct command, Frey’s office said. Peterson has led the First Precinct since 2019.
“At a time when the Minneapolis Police Department needs experienced, steady leadership, I am honored to serve and ready to lead,” Peterson said. “My focus will be on maintaining stability, supporting officers, building on the progress we’ve made, strengthening trust with our community, and ensuring every resident feels safe in the city we are proud to serve.”
Blackwell previously sued Alpha News, journalist Liz Collin, and others over reporting tied to the documentary “The Fall of Minneapolis” and Collin’s book “They’re Lying.”
However, Hennepin County Judge Edward Wahl dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that multiple challenged statements questioning Blackwell’s testimony in the Derek Chauvin trial were “substantially true.”
The documentary’s “core message—that [Blackwell’s] statements conflicted with MPD’s policy manual—is substantially true,” Wahl wrote.
As part of that case, 14 current and former Minneapolis police officers signed sworn declarations saying they believe Blackwell perjured herself while testifying during Chauvin’s trial. A total of 33 officers signed declarations saying the restraint Chauvin used during the George Floyd incident was trained by the Minneapolis Police Department.
Frey said Peterson will serve as interim chief while the city conducts a national search for a permanent chief.
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