Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara says the perception some people have about police officers needs to change to cut down on violent attacks against the men and women in blue.
Making his regular appearance with Adam and Jordana on WCCO, O'Hara says those negative feelings affect more than just the officers.
"Their family members have suffered because of it all over, they've had children that have been harassed, especially through 2020 and its aftermath, and have received threats, and so on," says O'Hara. "We need to recognize and condemn hate speech in any form that it is."
O'Hara added that it paints police in a bad light.
"They don't realize how destructive, how potential violence can occur, if we allow, if we normalize just this broad brush that we paint against all men and women who do this job," says the chief. "As if they are quote unquote, all killers and all racists."
NEW DETAILS IN SHOOTING OF OFFICER JAMAL MITCHELL
"It's just the longest couple of hours I've ever experienced."
That's the description O'Hara gave when asked about hearing about an officer down last week when Minneapolis Police Officer Jamal Mitchell was shot and killed. O'Hara was at a conference out of town when it took place.
O'Hara also called the killing of Mitchell and ambush and an assassination.
"Jamal stopped, got out of the car, was putting medical gloves on and approaching the individual, the first individual who was the person that ultimately killed him, and started to ask him if he was hurt and if he was okay," explained Chief O'Hara. "Kind of sizing up the scene, when he is very unexpectedly ambushed, assassinated, very callously, very violently. He may never have even seen it coming."
O'Hara says when Mitchell fell to the ground, the suspect continued to fire at him and then fired at other people in the area.
"So that's the reality of what happened, and it's incredibly, incredibly tragic. There are no words to appropriately describe the enormity of what an incredible loss this is to the community, to his family, to his children, to the department here," said a clearly emotional O'Hara.
Chief Brian O'Hara does say there will be a public memorial for officer Mitchell. He says they are waiting for Mitchell's family to finalize their plans.
MITCHELL HONORED BY U.S. HOUSE
Mitchell was honored Monday on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
"Officer Mitchell died as a hero and will be dearly missed by those who knew him and loved him. He survived by his partner, mother, stepfather, siblings and children. I ask my colleagues to join me in a moment of silence."
That speech from 5th District Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (DFL) who was joined by the other seven U.S. Representatives from Minnesota in front of the chamber at the Capitol.
Also on display was a large photo of a smiling Jamal Mitchell.