Minneapolis mass shooting: Who was MPD Officer Jamal Mitchell
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis Police Officer Jamal Mitchell died in the line of duty on Thursday, May 30, and is being remembered as a hero.
Minneapolis police were called to an apartment on Blaisdell Avenue South just after 5 p.m. for a report of a shooting. While en route, an officer stopped to help what appeared to be a possible victim. That's when Mitchell was shot in what authorities describe as an ambush. He later died at the hospital. A civilian and the gunman also died, while three others, including a firefighter, were injured in the mass shooting.
READ MORE: Minneapolis mass shooting: What we know so far
Mitchell had been with the Minneapolis Police Department since 2022, and was sworn in by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara.
O'Hara remembered Mitchell fondly, saying, "I knew Jamal. I had the distinct honor of swearing in Jamal as a Minneapolis police officer. Shortly after hitting the street, I commended and honored him for running into a burning house in the 5th Precinct to rescue an elderly couple. He loved the job, he loved the MPD, and he was faithful to the oath he swore unto his death."
FOX 9 previously reported on Officer Mitchell's heroic actions in 2023 when, just days on the job, he ran into the burning home to rescue the couple.
Mitchell, who was 36, was engaged to be married and had a son.
"Jamal died a hero, and like police officers in Minneapolis standing behind me here and everywhere, he was one of the few who have the courage to stand up and answer the call every single day. He died doing what we asked him to do for the rest of us," O'Hara said. "Jamal died doing what society asks all police officers to do. He did his job, and he was loyal to his oath until his death. There is no more honorable service one can provide."
Officer Mitchell's death marks the first line-of-duty death for Minneapolis police since 2002 when Officer Melissa Schmidt was killed. Officer Schmidt was also killed on Blaisdell Avenue while responding to a report of a woman with a gun at a public housing complex.