MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/KFGO) – Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara now says he sat in on the final interview of a fired MPD officer, after initially claiming he first learned about Tyler Timberlake’s past assault and battery arrest and subsequent acquittal at his previous job in Virginia from a media inquiry.
Over the weekend, emails obtained by Minnesota press outlets seemed to show that Timberlake was transparent about his past throughout the hiring process, and that O’Hara had signed off on it.
In Fairfax County, Virginia in 2020, just days after the murder of George Floyd, Timberlake tased a disorientated man and pinned him to the ground. Timberlake was acquitted of assault charges in the incident in 2022 and hired by the MPD earlier this year. He was fired last week after less than six months on the job.
In a statement released Sunday night, O’Hara admitted that he observed Timberlake’s interview, but was unaware of the video of the assault incident. He claims that once he found out about the existence of the video of the incident, he ordered an investigation into the hiring. He said any implication that he knew about the video at the time of the hire and lied about it is false.
O’Hara’s full statement:
“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.”
