A Minneapolis police officer has been fired after internal investigators determined she recognized her own brother as a suspect in a shooting bulletin posted inside her department's roll call room, then tipped him off instead of reporting him. Officer Chanica Hall's discharge memo, dated April 2026, outlined five sustained allegations against her, including that she failed to report her brother to police and had previously left him off family disclosure paperwork when she was hired.
A Poster, a Photo, and a Phone Call
According to the memo detailed by FOX 9, Hall spotted a shooting bulletin in the roll call room containing the phrases “attempt to identify” and “request for assistance,” and believed the pictured suspect resembled her brother, though she was not certain. Phone records cited in the memo show she called her brother shortly after seeing the poster and later photographed it. Her brother then texted her that she had to let him know as soon as possible, and Hall promised to call him after her shift ended.
She followed through. Phone records show Hall sent her brother a photo of the poster and called him again shortly after her shift ended at 2 a.m., per the same account. The bulletin was intended for law enforcement eyes only, but the memo states Hall believed police bulletins were available to the public. Her brother was apprehended weeks after the bulletin circulated in early November 2025, the memo notes.
Why Suspect Bulletins Are Guarded So Closely
The department's investigation into Hall's conduct concerned a September 2025 incident, and the stakes behind guarding those roll call bulletins are considerable. MPD launched its Firearm Assault Shoot Team in March 2026 specifically to give non-fatal shootings homicide-level investigative urgency, after 2025 data showed non-fatal shooting clearance rates hovering around just 40%, compared with 80% for homicides, according to MPR News.
Then-Chief Brian O'Hara sustained all five allegations against Hall and signed off on her discharge as punishment. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office declined to bring possible aiding an offender charges against her, per the memo. Under Minnesota Statutes § 609.495, intentionally harboring, concealing, or aiding a known felony suspect to help them avoid arrest is a felony carrying up to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to the Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes.
No Family Exception Under State Law
Hall's brother was the suspect. Keil Defense says knowledge of the underlying crime and intent to help someone avoid justice are central to an aiding-an-offender case.
Hall's discharge didn't end her accountability exposure. The Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training retains statutory authority to suspend or revoke a peace officer's license for conduct that violates standards of truthfulness, even absent a criminal conviction, according to Gustavus Magazine. Minnesota law also requires chief law enforcement officers to report sustained misconduct findings directly to the POST Board.
A Department in Upheaval Under O'Hara
Hall's case was reviewed as the Minneapolis Police Department's Internal Affairs Bureau operated under its first civilian chief, former felony prosecutor Ayodele Famodu, appointed in May 2025 as part of a broader push toward civilian oversight of officer misconduct. O'Hara had shown a willingness to fire officers over integrity lapses before: in February 2026, MPD fired Officer Joseph Klimmek after an internal affairs probe found he had liked a social media post advocating lynching, with O'Hara describing a “serious lack of integrity, ethics and character” in the termination letter, as detailed in Hoodline's prior report, cop axed over Facebook like.
But O'Hara himself did not remain chief for long after signing Hall's discharge order. City dashboard data showed he had accumulated 30 misconduct complaints during his three-year tenure by April 2026, with 22 still open under city review. He resigned on May 26, 2026, after an internal investigation concluded he likely interfered with an inquiry by deleting a contact card from his city-issued phone, according to The Guardian. Mayor Jacob Frey accepted the resignation, citing a breach of trust, and named Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell as acting chief while the city searches for a permanent replacement.
