"Friend, neighbor and hero." It was a somber and solemn end for Minneapolis Police Officer Jamal Mitchell on Tuesday.
A steady stream of people made their way inside Maple Grove Senior High School for the service at 11:00 a.m. with tributes coming from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara. Mitchell died in the line of duty and at the close of the memorial, he'll receive full honors including a flyover.
O'Hara says Mitchell's impact on the community hasn't gone unnoticed, with hundreds of community members visiting the growing memorial outside the fifth police precinct.
"They share comments about his warm and glowing smile, about how he waved to them from a passing patrol car, about how he made them feel valued, important and heard," said O'Hara. "One constant comment that we've heard is just how fun and how encouraging he was with children in the neighborhood."
O'Hara announced during the service that Mitchell would be posthumously awarded the city's two highest honors for a police officer, the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart. He then spoke of Jamal Mitchell's last call on May 30th, saying his resilient dedication to duty was on full display.
"But tragically on that time, Jamal's actions, his ethics who he was as a man, cost him his very life," O'Hara said. "What happened is beyond comprehension. But as people of faith, we know that Jamal was here on purpose and even this, as painful and as unexplainable as it is, is a part of his plan. Jamal did not hesitate to answer that final call for service and he lived up to the highest standards of the Minneapolis Police Department and the policing profession itself, for Jamal's courageous, selfless, and unequivocally heroic actions."
Minneapolis Police Officer Luke Weatherspoon remembered his friend and colleague during the service.
"Mitch is the hero that the city of Minneapolis needed, and in a time when we only have questions, I can tell you one answer that I have," says Weatherspoon. "God needed a hero and he called on Mitch."
Weatherspoon remembers Mitchell as a friend who would be there for anything.
"If you were lucky enough to call Jamal your friend, you could count on him amping you up, celebrating your accomplishments and successes," Weatherspoon explained. "If you were lucky enough to have Jamal as your friend, he would call you when he was grabbing food, see if you wanted him to pick you up something. He was always so thoughtful."
Mitchell leaves behind four children, along with his longtime partner.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey spoke of Mitchell's deep commitment to the City of Minneapolis.
"And on May 30th, he gave his life while serving it, demonstrating unmatched bravery, courage, dedication and service," said the mayor. "He was the epitome of a public servant and a courageous police officer and we were so lucky to have him."
Chris Dunker remembered his friend and neighbor during Tuesday's service, explaining the humor and personality of Mitchell.
"I'll miss seeing you play in the yard with your kids, I'll miss hearing you yell 'Hey, dunk' when I drive by," says Dunker. "I'll miss your Michael Jackson dance moves. I'll miss your competitive nature in our neighborhood board games and your complete lack of ability to draw a picture that resembled anything at all during Pictionary games. Most of all, I'll miss your bigger than life personality. But know this, at least twice a day, every day as I begin and end my day, I will be thinking of you and that big bright Colgate smile."
The service will be followed by a procession which will mainly travel on Interstate 494 and Highway 62 as it heads to the airport. There, his body will be flown to his native state of Connecticut.
The shooting in Minneapolis on May 30 left three dead including Officer Mitchell and three others injured. A fourth person died of their wounds this past Friday.
Officers were responding to a call of shots fired in the 2200 block of Blaisdell Avenue South in Minneapolis.
The MPD says the officers were met with gunfire, with witnesses saying they heard nearly a dozen shots. Mitchell responded to a shooting call was ambushed and killed when he stopped to provide aid to a man who appeared to be a victim. That man instead wound up shooting the officer, authorities said.
The death of Mitchell happened during a chaotic situation involving two crime scenes two blocks apart. Another MPD officer and a firefighter were treated for less serious injuries.
"On behalf of the residents and everyone who has stepped foot in the City of Minneapolis, thank you," Mayor Frey said. "We will never forget the sacrifice you made. You lived a hero, you died a hero and you will be remembered as a hero in our city forever."