Fallen officer Jamal Mitchell honored at Connecticut funeral on Monday
Fallen Minneapolis Police Officer Jamal Mitchell — a New Haven, Connecticut, native — was remembered at a funeral in his home state on Monday.
Mitchell, 36, was killed in the line of duty back in late May in south Minneapolis.
More than 30 Minneapolis Police Department officers, along with the department’s honor guard and Chief Brian O’Hara, attended the memorial at Hillhouse High School in New Haven, thanks in part to a fundraiser launched last week.
“We’re here in New Haven to support his family, to let them know he’ll never be forgotten,” O’Hara said. “Jamal was not just a hero in how he died but in how he lived his life as a man.”
Ever since Mitchell was fatally shot in what the department called an “ambush,” there has been a member of the department by his side.
Before the funeral, members of MPD carried his flag-draped casket out of McClam Funeral Home.
O’Hara and MPD officers could be seen comforting Mitchell’s children and family.
Police motorcycles and an MPD squad car led the funeral procession through the streets of New Haven.
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Loved ones in Mitchell’s hometown gathered Monday morning to remember a man who became a Minneapolis police officer a year and a half ago to make a difference.
“It was something to behold,” said Ronnell Higgins, one of Mitchell’s relatives. “Jamal wanted to be the change he wanted to see in policing.”
An officer and a gentleman was how others who spoke remembered Mitchell at the memorial service.
Mitchell’s 101-year-old great-grandmother Martha Green gave the eulogy. “You fought a good fight,” Green said. “Well done, job well done.”
RELATED: Fallen MPD Officer Jamal Mitchell remembered as a hero during memorial service
O’Hara promised Mitchell’s family that his sacrifice won’t be forgotten.
“He will live on with us forever,” O’Hara said. “We have the watch from here. We love you and we miss you. We will honor your legacy.”
Mitchell is survived by his long-time partner, Tori Myslajek, and four children: Koen, 20; Jalen, 9; Kaden, 7; and Macen, 4.