As many as 50 Minneapolis police officers made the trip to New Haven, Connecticut today for the funeral of Minneapolis Police Department Officer Jamal Mitchell.
Mitchell is being laid to rest in his hometown after being killed while responding to a call south of downtown Minneapolis May 30.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara teld attendees though Mitchell hadn't been on the force for long, he was special.
"I wish you all in New Haven could have seen the outpouring of love from community that Jamal received in Minneapolis," O'Hara said. "And I'm talking about Minneapolis now, post-2020. Every day at the fifth precinct in South Minneapolis, there were hundreds and hundreds of people who came out."
O'Hara told attendees about the outpouring of support in Minneapolis for Mitchell in the days following his killing.
"They would cry or just be on the verge of tears when they look at that squad car that was there, and they'd see the beautiful drawings that his daughter Mason drew of their family and expressing her love for dad," says Chief O'Hara. "Those of us, especially those of us who are parents, it hits especially hard. The true meaning of what has happened, when you see that."
Thousands of people turned out for a memorial service last week in Maple Grove, where Mitchell lived with his fiancée and children.
Mitchell is the third Minnesota police officer to die in the line of duty so far this year.
35-year-old Mustafa Ahmed Mohamed has been identified as the man who shot Mitchell. Six total were shot and three, including Mitchell and Mohamed, died.