MINNEAPOLIS — After being faced with proof that he was involved in the final interview panel for now-fired Minneapolis Officer Tyler Timberlake and knew of Timberlake's use-of-force incident in Virginia, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara has admitted he "observed" Timberlake's final interview.
In a departure from his months-long public insinuation that he was shocked to learn of Timberlake's history, O'Hara now says he was only unaware that video of the incident existed.
Timberlake was hired by MPD in January after previously working as an officer in Fairfax County, VA. In 2020, Timberlake was charged with assault and battery after using a stun gun on a man during an arrest.
A jury cleared Timberlake, finding him not guilty at trial in March 2022, which allowed him to return to work there and apply for other policing jobs as he did in Minneapolis.
Emails obtained by KARE 11 show that Tyler Timberlake was transparent with Minneapolis City and Police Officials regarding his assault charge in Virginia.
In April, when MPD Chief Brian O'Hara was asked about hiring Timberlake by the Minnesota Reformer, he issued a statement that said in part "I am extremely concerned about what I have just learned pertaining to the hiring of this individual."
O'Hara then publicly commented on it several times, expressing shock, telling the Racial Justice Network in May, "I could never have imagined that it would be possible that a person could go through sort of layers and layers of review with such a history and not be flagged along the way."
And on PBS Newshour, also in May, O'Hara said, "Obviously I was not happy about once I learned fully about that person's history."
After Timberlake was fired by the MPD, he wrote in an email obtained by KARE 11 that Chief O'Hara personally "interviewed me and approved of my hire after a full disclosure of events."
The Minneapolis Police Federation released a statement saying, in that interview, Timberlake "was assured by Chief O'Hara he would be okay if he did good work."
Now, in a statement released Sunday, O'Hara admits on his "2nd day of employment with the MPD, I observed Mr. Timberlake's interview."
O'Hara goes on in his statement to claim that at the time, he didn't know "of the existence of video capturing [Timberlake's] use-of-force incident."
O'Hara said once he saw the video, he ordered an investigation into MPD's hiring processes.
Back in May, Timberlake wrote an email to city leaders asking Chief O'Hara to "stop defaming" him. No official word yet on whether Timberlake is considering a lawsuit.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Public Safety Commissioner Cedric Alexander both said they can't comment because it's a personnel matter.
Here is O'Hara's full statement from 7/9/2023:
“I understand from talking with the City Attorney that my ability to discuss personnel matters publicly is very limited under Minnesota law. But this is what I can say: The MPD hiring process involves a background investigation and also screening by a hiring roundtable. Candidates who advance past those steps of the process are eligible for an interview as the last step of the process. On my second day of employment with the MPD, I observed Mr. Timberlake’s interview.
"He was hired thereafter. I did not know of the existence of video capturing a use of force incident involving this individual until after receiving a media inquiry. Upon learning of the existence of video and seeing it myself, I immediately ordered an investigation into MPD’s hiring processes.
"I was hired to become the MPD chief in order to reform the department and restore faith and pride in the MPD patch. To imply that I had known about this video at the time of hire and later lied is false.”
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