A 28-year-old cop in Minneapolis was “ambushed” and shot dead Thursday afternoon by a man he was trying to give medical care to, state officials announced in a late-night press conference.
The cop fatally shot was identified as Jamal Mitchell—an officer in just his second year of duty, said Minneapolis PD Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell.
The fatal gunfire broke out while Mitchell and another officer responded to a shooting outside an apartment complex near downtown.
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“He was rushing toward danger,” said Drew Evans, the head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. “We answered a call for service and the first thing he did when he got out of his car was help victims at the scene and he was ambushed.”
Evans said Mitchell rushed to give a shooting victim medical care after being dispatched to the scene. Once out of his cruiser, the same man whose life Mitchell was trying to save pulled out a gun and shot him dead, Evans said. He added that the horrific encounter was captured by Mitchell’s body-worn camera.
The two slain civilians were not identified, nor was the second injured officer. The shooting suspect was shot dead by police at the scene, Blackwell said, with first responders unable to revive him.
Mitchell died at a downtown hospital “despite all life saving measures,” Blackwell said, fighting back tears. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Mitchell was a “courageous hero” who saved an elderly couple from a house fire on just his third day on the job—a heroic act that made its rounds on local TV news at the time.
Mitchell was a father, Blackwell said, and his family is “hurting tremendously.
“He was courageous in every action that he did,” she said. “He was a wonderful human being... He was exceptional in every way.”
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), who represents a portion of the city, was the first to confirm that an officer was killed in the carnage.
“The killing of a police officer in Minneapolis and another officer wounded, plus other victims, is a terrible tragedy,” she said. “We are a waiting for more details.”
Blackwell said a firefighter was also injured by gunfire, but his injuries were not life-threatening. The other officer’s injuries are also not life-threatening, she added, despite Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) writing in a statement that the cop was “fighting for his life.” A bystander was also struck by gunfire and was in critical condition on Thursday night, Evans said.
Evans said authorities will release more information about the shooting suspect soon. He said those involved in the initial shooting before Mitchell arrived were likely “acquainted” with each other.
“Incessant violence and disrespect for law enforcement is endemic, and we must restore a culture of consequences immediately,” Phillips said.
Police said shots broke out in the city’s Whittier neighborhood, an up-and-coming area that’s home to the Minneapolis Institute of Art and a number of trendy restaurants. Videos from the scene showed officers arriving in armored vehicles, with automatic rifles strapped over their shoulders.
A motive for the shooting has not been released. Other details about the shooting, including how many shots were fired and what type of firearms were used, have not been released.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz released a statement on the shooting saying he was praying for first responders. In a Thursday evening press conference, he said the uptick in shootings involving police in Minnesota “cannot be the norm.”
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that dozens of officers descended upon a hospital downtown after calls of “officer down” went out over the radio. There, the paper reported that officers wept and consoled each other.
