[ad_1]
The next is the transcript of the interview with Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Jan. 25, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re joined now by town’s police chief, Brian O’Hara. Chief, welcome to Face the Nation.
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF, BRIAN O’HARA: Good morning, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What have you ever been capable of be taught in regards to the capturing? As a result of we did simply hear the claims by Secretary Noem and Mr. Bovino and their model of what occurred. Do the movies and proof again up their descriptions?
O’HARA: So, sadly, we haven’t any official info from federal regulation enforcement about what has occurred. Even when our officers initially responded to the scene, our watch commander was not given even probably the most primary info that’s typical in a, in a regulation enforcement concerned capturing, simply to make sure that there may be doubtlessly no different victims. Since then, the Minnesota Bureau of Legal Apprehension responded to the scene at my request. They had been blocked from the scene yesterday, however they’ve since returned to the scene and are, are actually canvassing for added witnesses and proof that could be there.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So do I perceive you saying that Minnesota has simply begun its investigation in the present day?
O’HARA: There have been makes an attempt yesterday to start the investigation. I have no idea what, if something, was carried out yesterday. I do know that whereas they had been on the scene, greater than as soon as, they weren’t permitted to enter earlier than the scene then was contaminated.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And for our viewers, Minnesota is somewhat bit completely different. There’s
this Bureau of Legal Apprehension that’s the state company that investigates use of pressure incidents–
O’HARA: Sure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: –They’re separate out of your police pressure.
O’HARA: Sure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However from what you’ve seen within the public area and heard from federal officers, is there any proof that you realize of that Pretti was assaulting the federal officers, because the Border Patrol chief claims?
O’HARA: Properly, I’ve seen the movies, simply as hundreds of individuals across the nation have, and the movies communicate for themselves. I feel it is deeply in regards to the issues which are being mentioned. That is a person that was a metropolis resident. It seems that he was current, exercising his First Modification rights to report regulation enforcement exercise and in addition exercising his Second Modification rights to lawfully be armed in a public area within the metropolis. So I feel very clearly, there are critical questions which are being raised. And I feel the larger challenge is, even when there may be an investigation that in the end proves that on the time of the capturing it was legally justified, I do not assume that even issues at this level, as a result of there just- there may be a lot outrage and concern round what is going on within the metropolis.
MARGARET BRENNAN: What do you imply it doesn’t matter at this level? You imply the scenario on the bottom is already- the impression is left?
O’HARA: Individuals have had sufficient. That is the third capturing now in lower than three weeks. The Minneapolis Police Division went all the yr final yr recovering about 900 weapons from the road, arresting a whole bunch and a whole bunch of violent offenders, and we did not shoot anybody. And now that is the second American citizen that has been killed. It is the third capturing inside three weeks. Individuals have been talking out, saying that this was going to occur once more. And I feel everyone seems to be type of ready for folk on each side to return collectively and simply determine this factor out. This isn’t sustainable. This police division has solely 600 cops. We’re stretched extremely skinny. That is taking an unlimited toll making an attempt to handle all of this chaos, on prime of getting to be the police division for a significant metropolis. It is an excessive amount of.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you calling on ICE to go away?
O’HARA: We perceive that for so long as there was ICE, there was immigration enforcement in Minnesota. The issue isn’t that enforcement is going on. It is clearly the style through which these items are occurring. These ways are very clearly not secure, and it’s producing lots of outrage and concern locally.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let me ask you about what we all know, as a result of DHS claims that Pretti had a weapon on him. You mentioned that Pretti- you implied Pretti was carrying on the time of the incident, once you mentioned he was a authorized firearm proprietor with a license to hold. Have you learnt if the weapon remained hid or was it ever brandished?
O’HARA: I’ve seen completely different specialists and folks analyzing the video which have made statements about that. I can’t speculate, however I do not need any, any proof that I’ve seen that means that the weapon was brandished.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, as a result of we checked the Minnesota gun allow guidelines enable for hid carry, and there are not any restrictions on carrying in a protest.
O’HARA: Sure, that is proper.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However the homeland safety secretary mentioned that he had two cartridges on him along with the gun. “I do not know of any peaceable protester that reveals up with a gun and ammunition relatively than an indication.” The FBI director mentioned, “You can’t deliver a firearm loaded with a number of magazines to any form of protest.” Are they on agency authorized floor in Minnesota?
O’HARA: You’ve got a Second Modification proper in the US to own a firearm, and there are some restrictions round that in Minnesota. And every little thing that we see, that we’re conscious of, reveals that he didn’t violate any of these restrictions. He isn’t a convicted felon, and he’s somebody that did have a allow for the handgun to hold it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So did he have magazines stuffed with ammunition on the scene? As a result of each the president of the US and the border safety chief mentioned that he did, and Bovino straight accused you of not saying that publicly. He mentioned the police chief omitted the truth that the suspect had a gun and magazines stuffed with ammunition.
O’HARA: Properly, that- what they’re omitting is that they aren’t sharing any info with us, and that they blocked state regulation enforcement, which is the company that conducts the overwhelming majority of police concerned shootings from the scene. So I do not understand how I am alleged to share info with the general public that they aren’t sharing with us.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you haven’t seen proof that there have been a number of magazines, but- however wouldn’t it even be unlawful if that had been the case?
O’HARA: I do not assume there may be any relevance if somebody is lawfully exercising their Second Modification proper to hold. The one query could be in the event that they had been utilizing the weapon in a- for an illegal goal.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I wish to ask you about a few of the issues that the vp additionally has mentioned about native authorities. The vp mentioned that native police have been advised to face down when immigration authorities name 911 asking for assist coping with crowds surrounding them. Have been you ever ordered to face down? Have police been advised to not shield ICE?
O’HARA: It’s deeply disappointing to have anybody query and disparage the arduous work of the women and men of the Minneapolis Police Division. There are 600 cops which are left right here after the destruction of town in 2020, and they’re doing an unbelievable job. A few dozen of our cops have been injured responding to lots of the chaos that has resulted on the streets. Our officers reply each time there is a risk to somebody’s life, to public security or destruction within the metropolis. And it would not matter whether or not it is as a result of ICE is there or somebody from the group is there. We’re doing every little thing that we will to handle this chaos. However there’s solely 600 cops right here, and there is hundreds of immigration brokers right here.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper, practically 3000 as we perceive it. The vp and Secretary Noem mentioned Minneapolis is uniquely chaotic. However in addition they pointed to sanctuary metropolis insurance policies and mentioned that if these insurance policies weren’t in place, these are insurance policies that prohibit you from helping federal immigration operations, that none of this could actually be occurring. How do you reply to that declare that due to the sanctuary metropolis insurance policies, you might be being compelled into this place?
O’HARA: Properly, there’s insurance policies and legal guidelines which were the case right here for many years, and it isn’t on the Minneapolis Police Division or native regulation enforcement, you realize, at hand of us over which are in jails. Town police don’t function a jail that is on the county degree and the prisons are on the state degree, so we’re complying with the regulation as we now have been for a few years. And I do not know what else might probably be requested of this very, very, you realize, understaffed and overstretched police division.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And now you’ve the Nationwide Guard, I perceive, helping you. Is that this sustainable now that you’ve the guard supporting you? Do you’ve any concept of how lengthy these protests will final?
O’HARA: Yeah. I imply, yesterday, we needed to do an emergency recall. We requested for mutual help from the state, county and all of native regulation enforcement across the metro. It was very clearly an emergency, and we requested the Nationwide Guard. As of this morning, we now have launched all of mutual help, in addition to the Nationwide Guard companions, and it is again to simply the Minneapolis Police responding to calls and making an attempt to guard town. However that is completely not sustainable. Our cops are drained. They’re skinny stretched as it’s, and we now have a job to do, making an attempt to maintain the folks of this metropolis secure.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So earlier than this capturing, CBS reported that there have been no less than 10 folks from the Minneapolis U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace who had resigned. We all know the FBI agent resigned after being advised to cease investigating the officer who shot Renee Good. What’s native regulation enforcement experiencing past your officers, however within the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace, in your native FBI?
O’HARA: I imply the unhappy a part of that is the unbelievable work that we now have completed with all of federal regulation enforcement over the previous few years to get actual criminals put away, gang members, folks which are capturing of us out right here, bringing, smuggling fentanyl into this metropolis. We have labored with all of those federal regulation enforcement brokers that stay in Minnesota, and it is so- it is so upsetting to see so a lot of them disparaged and so a lot of them strolling away as a result of it’s destroying the inspiration of addressing violent crime in Minnesota that is produced unbelievable outcomes over the previous few years.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Police Chief O’Hara, we want you effectively and peace in your metropolis. Thanks in your time this morning. Face the Nation will likely be again in a single minute. Stick with us.
[ad_2]
