Minneapolis, Minnesota — It was a rare but welcome sight at one of the city’s police stations Tuesday morning. The briefing room was packed with police officers. But among those wearing light blue Minneapolis Police Department shirts were deputies from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office. Their presence prompted jokes that this was a first for Minneapolis. very There had been many police officers in the room for a long time.
It’s a fun observation, but the catalyst for this crossover event was the murder of MPD officer Jamal Mitchell, who was ambushed and killed by a repeat criminal during a rescue mission in late May. Due to staffing shortages, he was working a mandatory solo overtime shift on the day Mitchell was killed.
Various law enforcement agencies traveled to Minneapolis this week, allowing MPD officers to attend a memorial for Mitchell at Maple Grove High School.
The morning was overcast and rainy, as if it were a day of mourning for Mitchell. Most of the officers were from MPD, but many other law enforcement agencies from as far away as Louisville, Kentucky, came to help.
“Jamal was more than just a police officer.”
Attendees included Mitchell’s fiancée Tori Mislake, their children, his mother, and other relatives, as well as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who is disliked by many rank-and-file MPD officers for helping to turn public opinion against police during the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots.
Frey emphasized that Mitchell decided to join the city police force in the aftermath of 2020.
“It’s remarkable that he chose law enforcement as a career beyond 2020. It’s even more remarkable that he actively chose Minneapolis. Of all the places in the world, all the jobs in the world, all the cities in the world, he chose us,” Frey said, adding that he thanked the officers in attendance for their continued service.
But unlike all the other speakers, including Chief Brian O’Hara and Mitchell’s friends, not a single person in the packed audience applauded as Frey left the stage. The gymnasium was silent.
The only social media post that appeared on Mayor Frey’s official X account related to Mitchell’s memorial was a repost of the city’s message with a link to a livestream of the ceremony.
In contrast, the mood in the room shifted when Denise Raper, known as Aunt Dee Dee, read Psalm 23 and described how Officer Luke Weatherspoon’s gloomy mood about having to stay late at work changed when he saw Mitchell. Neighbor Chris Danker drew laughter when he pulled out a tube of Colgate toothpaste and named it after Mitchell’s bright smile, saying he would think of her when he brushed his teeth twice a day.
Fighting back tears, Danker said he will miss seeing Mitchell playing outside with their children. As Danker left the stage, Myslajek rose from his chair to give him a hug.
All of the speakers praised Mitchell for saving an elderly couple from a burning building on just his third day as an officer, an act they said exemplified exactly why he wanted to join the MPD.
“Jamal was more than just a police officer. He was a great father and really involved with his kids,” Officer Weatherspoon said. “Jamal lived for his family. Jamal loved his family unconditionally.”
The ceremony ended, the sun was shining brightly as Mitchell was transported to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport to return to his home state of Connecticut.
Along the motorcade’s route to the airport, residents of Maple Grove and surrounding communities waved American flags, held signs of support and lined up saluting veterans and first responders.
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