MINNEAPOLIS (CNN) — Minneapolis’ police chief admits his department “failed” to protect one of the city’s residents who has long feared for his safety.

That man, Davis Moturi, was hospitalized with a gunshot wound allegedly from his neighbor after months of escalating encounters and calls to the police ended in gunfire last week.

Now the city’s police department is being scrutinized for their response and how long it took to make an arrest.

While Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara acknowledged his department’s shortcomings, he also spoke defiantly about the public outcry that officers should have done something sooner.

Moturi, a Minneapolis resident, has made many videos of his neighbor, John Sawchak, since late 2023. He called the police at least 19 times, saying they detailed threats and harassment.

Last week, police say it escalated to gunfire.

“The pain went down my neck and then back up to my spine,” Moturi described.

WARNING: This video contains images that some may find disturbing.

O’Hara says his department has been trying to arrest Sawchak for at least six months and officers have been under constant surveillance since warrants were issued for Moturi’s shooting last Wednesday.

“We failed this victim 100 percent,” O’Hara noted.

The chief added that Sawchak has mental health issues, was possibly armed and that the police department is understaffed.

“We tried to get this person into safe custody, which would mean getting him out of the house when he’s not around guns or other weapons,” O’Hara added.

On Sunday evening, the police did not wait any longer.

A SWAT team and special tactics unit used a battering ram to smash the windows at Sawchak’s home after several hours of negotiations failed.

Sawchak eventually surrendered in the early hours of Monday and was taken into custody.

He faces several charges, including attempted murder, stalking and harassment.

It’s an outcome, after a cautious approach, that Moturi says should have come much sooner.

“You have this armor. You have professional training. If you say you’re scared, what does that make me?” Moturi asked.

O’Hara says before SWAT officers were dispatched, the department used a behavioral threat team, a psychiatrist and members of Sawchak’s family to try to coax him out of the house.

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