Minneapolis marks 1 year since killing of officer Jamal Mitchell: "We could not have asked for better"
It's been one year since Minneapolis police officer Jamal Mitchell was killed in the line of duty.
Mitchell raced to help a man in the Whittier neighborhood, not knowing the armed man he approached had just killed two people.
Mitchell was a son, brother, father, fiancé and friend. The 36-year-old had only been with the department for a year and a half, but the impact he made will last a lifetime.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O'Hara honored Mitchell at an annual service of remembrance last week.
"Minneapolis police officer Jamal Mitchell dedicated his life to service. He was truly the definition of a hero," Frey said.
"In a pure act of selfless service, was taken from us by a violent act by the very person he was trying to help," O'Hara said.
The loss of officer Mitchell is still being felt in Minneapolis.
"The weight of that loss is immense; the grief is deep," O'Hara said.
With his fiancé and kids in attendance, Mitchell's sacrifice was honored in a special ceremony.
"Today, a banner bearing his name added to the Minneapolis Police Department flag, joining the names of all the men and women who have died in the line of duty," O'Hara said.
A similar scene to honor the fallen in took place in Washington, D.C. during National Police Week. Mitchell's mom, Janet Edwards, was there alongside other family members.
"Very emotional to know that, you know, he was placed on the wall," Edwards said. "I told everybody it was like a bittersweet moment for me."
She said her son loved people.
"And he loved his job. He loved what he was doing," Edwards said.
At home, they have their own memorial.
"I felt like it was something that she can go to every morning. We know he's not here, but we can go to it to see him, and he's still shining in our heart," said stepfather Dennis Edwards. "He is missed, and he's missed throughout the whole family."
They're proud of his courage and bravery. Only days on the job, Mitchell rescued an elderly couple from a house fire. Last year, Mitchell was posthumously given the department's Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart. He was also named Fifth Precinct Officer of the Year.
Last month, the department honored those on scene for their courage and actions in the moments after Jamal Mitchell was shot, while remembering the fallen hero.
"His actions, as a man and how he lived his life, they're heroic," O'Hara said. "He was a role model. He's everything that we could ask for in a police officer."
O'Hara wears a metal band with Mitchell's name on it and carries his duty weapon in honor of him. Others carry on his memory in their own ways.
"There's other members of department here who were helping with youth activities with Jamal. That played basketball with him, off duty. Business owners and people from town who remember Jamal, you know, just coming in and just being a very positive, engaged role model for youth, and just honestly, you know, we could not have asked for better. And in life, he was a father," O'Hara said.
A community, and department, indebted to their dad's service.
"They all have moments, you know, of difficulty and anguish. The main thing we want to make sure is that the family knows they will not be forgotten," O'Hara said. "He did what we asked him to do. And you know, the city owes our gratitude to his family for their sacrifice."
Janet Edwards plans to be in Connecticut with some family members on Friday, while O'Hara will attend a private memorial in Zimmerman with Mitchell's fiancé and kids, followed by time with officers who worked with him.
