03/06/2026
Mayor Jacob Frey,
This letter serves as a formal demand for immediate action and public accountability regarding the Minneapolis Police Department's handling of domestic violence cases-specifically the cases of Allison Lussier and Mariah Samuels.
We demand the following actions without delay:
1. Immediate reallocation of $5 million from the City of Minneapolis budget to establish, fund, and staff an independent investigative unit to review and investigate domestic violence cases. These investigators must be fully independent from MPD to ensure transparency, impartiality, and public trust.
2. A public, on-the-record statement from you, Mayor Frey, and Police Chief Brian O'Hara explicitly acknowledging that the Minneapolis Police Department failed Allison Lussier and Mariah Samuels. These failures must be publicly recognized as a first step toward accountability and reform.
3. Immediate disciplinary action for the following documented failures:
* The supervising officer who ordered the crime scene shut down in Allison Lussier's case, prematurely terminating a homicide investigation and compromising justice.
* The officer in Mariah Samuels' case who failed to make an arrest despite being shown text messages that constituted clear violatons of an active Order for Protection (OFP).
* Any officers who knowingly delayed or obstructed responses to requests from the City Auditor, undermining oversight, transparency, and accountability.
* A binding directive from Police Chief Brian O'Hara ensuring that no officer is permitted to evade accountability for dereliction of duty through early retirement, resignation, or separation from service, including but not limited to circumstances such as Sgt. Heyer’s retirement prior to providing an interview with the City Auditor. Officers MUST remain subject to investigation, compelled cooperation, and discipline regardless of employment status.
Domestic violence cases require urgency, competence, and survivor-centered responses. The repeated failures by MPD-including investigative negligence, enforcement failures, obstruction of oversight, and the avoidance of accountability-demonstrate a systemic breakdown that can no longer be ignored, minimized, or excused.
The City of Minneapolis has a moral and legal responsibility to the families, to survivors, and to the public to take decisive action. Anything less than immediate compliance with these demands will be viewed as a continued disregard for the lives lost and the safety of those still at risk.
We expect a timely public response outlining the concrete steps you will take to meet these demands.
Sincerely,
Jana Williams
