MINNEAPOLIS — A man accused of shooting his neighbor in Minneapolis, and who was arrested after an hours-long standoff this weekend, made his first appearance before a judge Tuesday.
John Sawchak had his bond set at $1 million without conditions, or $600,000 with. Those conditions include not owning guns or being within three blocks of the victims. KARE 11's Gordon Severson was in the courtroom and reports that as the judge explained these conditions, Sawchak said it was unlikely he would be able to post bail saying "that's not happening" and that he didn't have that kind of money.
Sawchak's case has received widespread attention after he was not initially arrested for allegedly shooting his neighbor, Davis Moturi, who was pruning a tree on the line between their two properties on the 3500 block of Grand Avenue S.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara defended not arresting Sawchak sooner, calling it a "high-risk" situation. O'Hara later said the victim, who had complained about harassment from Sawchak for months, was failed by police. Sawchak was arrested this weekend after an hours-long standoff.
In court on Tuesday it was revealed that 10 people have filed restraining orders against Sawchak over the last 15 years. Severson reports that at the end of his appearance, Sawchak said he wanted to file restraining orders against all of the people who are coming onto his property and "stalking" him.
The victim suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion in Wednesday's shooting. Minneapolis Police pledged a full review of their response to the incident.
Sawchak returns to court on November 25.