Minneapolis's heart throb police chief resigns in disgrace as it's revealed he was accused of affairs with THREE women while married to senior female cop

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:53, 28 May 2026 | Updated: 16:58, 28 May 2026 The Minneapolis police chief who abruptly resigned has been accused of having affairs with three women while married to a senior female officer, a new report claimed. Brian O'Hara, 46, stepped down on Tuesday amid a probe into his alleged sexual misconduct on the force following a formal complaint filed against him in April 2025.  An investigation into the former chief, who is married to New Jersey's Newark Police Department Lieutenant Wafiyyah O'Hara, was launched after he was accused of being involved in inappropriate relationships with three female staffers, sources with knowledge of the complaint told The Minnesota Star Tribune.  The grievance, filed by a recently retired Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) employee, also alleged that the father-of-two created a hostile work environment, and once threatened 'to punch' former interim Police Chief Amelia Huffman after being annoyed by her at a meeting, the outlet reported.  Huffman took the position after former Chief Medaria Arradondo decided not to seek another term. O'Hara was brought on in November 2022 and tasked with overseeing an overhaul of the force following the death of George Floyd. The women the disgraced officer is accused of being sexually involved with ranged from subordinates who were in training to a high-ranking supervisor, the complaint stated, per The Tribune.  After the complaint was filed, the city called on a local law firm, Forsgren Fisher McCalmont DeMarea Tysver, to look into the allegations.  As the firm did so, they called in a number of both current and retired MPD supervisors for interviews, and also spoke to the three women, who all denied any sexual contact with O'Hara, people close to the investigation said, according to the publication.  Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara resigned on Tuesday after a sexual misconduct probe was launched against him last year  O'Hara was brought on in November 2022 and tasked with overseeing an overhaul of the force following the killing of George Floyd During the probe by the city-appointed lawyers, a second complaint came in against MPD officer Abdisamad Ahmed, who was described by the outlet as O'Hara's 'longtime driver.'  That formal notice accused Ahmed of trying to 'intimidate' the three women before their interviews, but he denied that claim when he sat down with lawyers, the Tribune revealed.  In July 2025, Forsgren Fisher submitted a report that stated there was not enough evidence to support the allegation brought against O'Hara. The complaint was closed by the Office of Community Safety and no disciplinary actions were taken, the report stated.  But just before the new year, a department tipster handed an audio recording over to the law firm that purportedly revealed that Ahmed engaged in witness tampering, according to the outlet.  He later told attorneys that he was joking, but did not argue that it was his voice on the recording, The Tribune stated. Ahmed continues to serve as a police officer for the agency.  Despite new evidence coming to light, the law firm again determined that it could not 'substantiate the allegations that Chief O’Hara had a sexually intimate relationship with any City employee,' the publication reported.  But after hearing that investigators found he had interfered with the probe, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told O'Hara he would be disciplined, which could result in his termination.  Instead, O'Hara chose to resign, Frey stated.  He is married to New Jersey's Newark Police Department Lieutenant Wafiyyah O'Hara (pictured together). They share two sons together, Brendan and James After hearing that investigators found he had interfered with the probe, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told O'Hara he would be disciplined, which could result in his termination 'It was an extremely painful decision, obviously, but I concluded that that was necessary to maintain public trust, and this was the right way to move forward as a city,' Frey said. 'Trust is not secondary to the job. It is the job,' he added.  The city still has 17 open complaints against O'Hara - separate from the investigation that resulted in disciplinary action - and will continue investigating, mayor's office spokesperson Jennifer Lor said.  Lor said she could not comment on the nature of those complaints.  O'Hara previously worked as a deputy chief for the Newark Police Department, and shared two sons - Brendan and James - with his wife Wafiyyah.  The couple appeared happily married. O'Hara shared a photograph of himself and Wafiyyah beaming during a vacation in New York City in the summer of 2025. Writing on his LinkedIn page, O'Hara said the trip was for his wife's birthday. 'Happy Birthday, Wafiyyah!!!' the chief wrote. 'Grateful for you every day'. In the same post, he admitted he had earlier forgotten it was her birthday. O'Hara became the top cop in Minneapolis in 2022 while the department was at the center of a nationwide reckoning over racism and brutality in policing. The couple appeared happily married - O'Hara shared a photograph of himself and Wafiyyah beaming during a vacation in New York City in the summer of 2025 Two years prior, Floyd, a black man, was killed by a white officer in the Minnesota city, igniting global Black Lives Matter protests and calls to defund the police. Last year, Minneapolis entered an agreement with the federal government to overhaul its police training and use-of-force policies in the wake of Floyd's murder. The US Department of Justice under President Donald Trump canceled the agreement months later. The former chief also oversaw the law enforcement response to the deadly Annunciation Catholic School shooting last August.  Assistant Police Chief Katie Blackwell has stepped in to lead the department during the search for a new chief.  When contacted by the Daily Mail for comment, a spokesperson for the MPD shared a statement from Commissioner Toddrick Barnette with the Office of Community Safety with the City of Minneapolis.   Assistant Police Chief Katie Blackwell has stepped in to lead the department during the search for a new chief 'I want to thank Chief O’Hara for his service to the City of Minneapolis and for his commitment to public safety.  'Chief O’Hara helped advance police reform efforts, replenish sworn staffing and guide the department through some of the city’s most challenging moments. We will continue moving forward — building trust in our police department through transparency, accountability, and collaboration with community member,' Barnette said.  The Daily Mail contacted O'Hara and Forsgren Fisher McCalmont DeMarea Tysver for comment.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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