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 MPD for a year and a half but the impact he made will last a lifetime.

At an annual service of remembrance last week, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said, “Minneapolis police officer Jamal Mitchell dedicated his life to service. He was truly the definition of a hero.” 

“In a pure act of selfless service, was taken from us by a violent act by the very person he was trying to help,” Minneapolis police Chief Brian 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.

His mom Janet Edwards was there, along with other family. 

“Very emotional to know that, you know, he was placed on the wall. I told everybody it was like a bittersweet moment for me,” Edwards said.

Edwards said Mitchell 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,” stepfather Dennis Edwards said.

“He is missed, and he’s missed throughout the whole family,” Dennis Edwards said. 

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 medal of honor and the purple heart.

He was named 5th Precinct officer of the year.

Last month, Minneapolis police honored those on scene for their courage and actions in the moments after Mitchell was shot, while remembering the fallen hero. 

“His actions as a man and how he lived his life, they’re heroic. He was a role model. He’s everything that we could ask for in a police officer,” O’Hara said.

O’Hara wears a metal band with his name on it. And carries Mitchell’s 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 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. He did what we asked him to do. And you know, the city owes, owes our gratitude to his family for their sacrifice,” O’Hara said.

Mitchell’s mom plans to be in Connecticut Friday with some of his siblings. 

O’Hara will join Mitchell’s family living in town for a private memorial, followed by time with officers who worked with him.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minneapolis woman accused of driving into a crowd, leaving a 16-year-old girl dead and several others injured, entered a guilty plea on Tuesday. 

Driver enters guilty plea

What’s new:

Latalia Margalli, 23, was charged with one count of second-degree murder with intent and five counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon for her alleged role in a fatal hit-and-run incident in downtown Minneapolis on Sept. 14, 2024. 

Court records show Margalli submitted a petition to plead guilty to one count of second-degree unintentional murder and five counts of second-degree assault.

Prosecutors filed a notice of intent to seek an upward sentencing departure. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said on Tuesday the state will request a sentence of 285 months (23.75 years) for the murder charge, and consecutive sentences for the assault charges. 

Margalli’s sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 24. 

What they’re saying:

“De’Miaya dreamt of becoming a nurse. Not only did her family lose a loved one, our community lost a person who aspired to help others,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a provided statement. “Ms. Margalli made a terrible decision that changed many lives that day. This guilty plea provides a pathway to a lengthy sentence that holds Ms. Margalli accountable and protects our community.”

Fatal downtown hit-and-run 

The backstory:

The crash happened on the morning of Sept. 14 near 5th Street North and Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis.

Charges allege Margalli and her friends got into an altercation with the 16-year-old victim and her friends, which ultimately turned physical. At some point, Margalli allegedly got back into her SUV and started driving in reverse, hitting another person with the car door in the process. 

While the victim was on the ground fighting with someone, Margalli reportedly started heading the wrong way on 5th Street and “drove directly into the crowd of people, without breaking, and struck numerous people, including [the] victim,” the complaint reads. 

Margalli then fled the scene but was followed by a witness, and authorities eventually took her into custody.

De’Miaya Broome, 16, died from her injuries at the hospital. Five others were also injured, including two 14-year-old girls, a 24-year-old man, a 28-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman. Their injuries ranged from bruises to broken legs and a head injury, according to court records. 

What’s next:

Margalli is scheduled to be sentenced by a Hennepin County judge in June.