'Jamal died a hero': Slain MPD officer remembered for heroics, kindness

It was only his third day on the job last year when newly sworn Minneapolis police officer Jamal Mitchell found himself watching from the back of an ambulance as his partner Zachery Randall was checked out by medics.

Moments before a picture of Mitchell and Randall was snapped in February 2023, the officers had run into a burning house in southwest Minneapolis' Fifth Precinct to save an elderly couple. A plume of black smoke billowed from where the structure once stood.

Minneapolis Chief Brian O'Hara, who now finds himself mourning Mitchell's fatal shooting on Thursday, had praised the rookie cop and his partner for their heroics.

Mitchell would go on to receive a lifesaving award. He would later say in an interview on CNN's "Beyond the Call of Duty" that, even as a rookie, acting on his instinct was without question.

"That's part of the job," he said. "We're here to protect the community, do what we can to serve the community. … We are trained to put others' lives in front of ours."

It was what Mitchell was doing on Thursday, as he rendered aid to an injured man following a report of a double shooting in the Whittier neighborhood. Mitchell was "assassinated" by the suspect, who "continued to shoot him after he fell to the ground," O'Hara said. Mitchell died a short time later at HCMC. The suspect, along with another civilian, also died. Mitchell is the department's first officer killed in 22 years.

Hundreds of officers gathered outside the hospital in silent salute late Thursday as Mitchell's casket was wheeled into the back of a Hennepin County van. Their squads, lights flashing, made a lengthy late night procession on I-394 to the Medical Examiner's Office in Minnetonka.

By Friday morning, Gov. Tim Walz had ordered flags at half-staff in honor of Mitchell, 36, "a father, son, fiancé, friend" who joined the department in 2022.

"I knew Jamal. I had the distinct honor of swearing in Jamal as a Minneapolis police officer," O'Hara said in a statement released overnight. "He loved the job, he loved the MPD, and he was faithful to the oath he swore unto his death."

"Jamal was engaged to be married. 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."

Beyond his bravery, Mitchell was known for a friendly demeanor on the street, engaging with residents and earning their trust.

"Jamal waved at literally every single person while driving in the squad car," said officer Ashley Bergersen, who served as Mitchell's field training officer last year. "He was such a nice guy."

Bergersen shared with the Star Tribune a photo she snapped with Mitchell last year. He had just finished his field training, and they celebrated with some barbecue in Hanover. Both stood before a giant smoker, their smiles broad.

Star Tribune staff writer Liz Sawyer contributed to this story.