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Remembering Minneapolis Police Officer Jamal Mitchell one year after his death in the line of duty

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Remembering Minneapolis Police Officer Jamal Mitchell one year after his death in the line of duty


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.

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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.

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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.  

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“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. 

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“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. 

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“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.

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Minneapolis, MN

Man dead, 2 others hurt in overnight shooting in Minneapolis

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Man dead, 2 others hurt in overnight shooting in Minneapolis


Police say two people were hurt and one other man died.

A homicide investigation is underway in Minneapolis after a shooting early Friday morning killed one man and hurt two others.

Minneapolis police were called to the area of East Franklin Avenue and Chicago Avenue at around 12:30 a.m.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS cameras caught more than 65 evidence markers scattered across the ground in the area and shattered glass at a bus shelter. Some nearby businesses also appeared to have some damage.

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Minneapolis police are still working to determine what led up to the shooting and who was involved but investigators say first responders found the three men suffering from gunshot wounds.

One injured man is in his 40s, the other in his 50s, police say. Both were taken to a hospital by ambulance.

The third man died at the scene. His name and age haven’t yet been publicly released.

Police say early information suggests the men were on a sidewalk when at least one person opened fire, then fled in a vehicle.

So far, no arrests have been made.

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Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call police at 612-673-5845 to leave a voicemail or email policetips@minneapolismn.gov.

“This is a tragic and deeply disturbing act of violence that has taken a life, and left others seriously injured,” MPD Chief Brian O’Hara said. “This kind of violence is unacceptable, and we are committed to identifying those responsible and holding them accountable.”

Minneapolis police investigating alleyway shooting near East Franklin Avenue

It comes less than 30 hours after another serious shooting along East Franklin Avenue, just a half-mile west of Friday’s scene. That incident left a man hospitalized with a potentially life-threatening gunshot wound. No arrests have been announced in that case either.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is still working to learn more about this shooting. Stay with KSTP-TV for the latest updates on air and on the KSTP app.

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A Minneapolis woman recounts death of Alex Pretti as lawyers eye a class action lawsuit

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A Minneapolis woman recounts death of Alex Pretti as lawyers eye a class action lawsuit


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis woman who confronted federal immigration officers alongside Alex Pretti in January was among a group of potential litigants who spoke out Thursday about alleged excessive force against people protesting or monitoring the enforcement surge in Minnesota.

Georgia Savageford, who introduced herself as Wynnie at a news conference, said she was inside an officer’s vehicle when she saw federal agents shoot Pretti.

“That day has changed me forever,” she said. “The trauma will haunt me for the rest of my life, and I will never be the same.”

Savageford said she had been legally observing the actions of federal officers in Minneapolis ever since the shooting death of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Jan. 7. She said she was doing so again on the morning of Jan. 24 when an agent pushed her twice and caused her to fall.

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“As I was going down, three agents proceeded to tackle me and drag me face-down into the middle of the street. They knelt on my back, twisted my arms and my legs to the ground, and handcuffed me. The cuffs were so tight I lost feeling in my hands, which resulted in temporary nerve damage,” she recounted.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not immediately respond Thursday to emails seeking comment. Minnesota officials sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for access to evidence they say they need to independently investigate the killings.

Savageford said Pretti recorded video of her arrest and yelled at agents to leave her alone.

She said the officers put her in the back of a vehicle, from which she saw agents shoot and kill Pretti on the other side of the street.

“At that moment, I thought I was going to die too. I pleaded with the agents to understand why another life was taken, and to not take mine,” she said.

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She added that they told her to shut up and to stop being hysterical. She said they then took her to an ICE holding facility where she was held for 12 hours in a cold cell without ready access to food, water or the bathroom until she was released without being charged.

“I did not know him, but I knew he had my back,” she said of Pretti. “I know the kind of heart he had. One that loves and protects without limits.”

Savageford shared her story at a news conference where civil rights attorney John Burris, of Oakland, California, and other lawyers laid out how they’re paving the way for potential class-action lawsuits over alleged excessive force used against protesters and monitors.

Burris, who specializes in police misconduct, helped win an $11 million settlement against the Oakland Police Department in 2003, and helped win a civil jury verdict of $3.8 million for the late motorist Rodney King, who was beaten by Los Angeles police officers in 1991.

He said he and his colleagues have filed complaints with federal agencies involved in the Minnesota enforcement surge on behalf of 10 people, including Savageford, as the first step in a process that’s likely to lead to a larger class-action lawsuit.

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“We have many others that are under investigation that have not completed the process. But I thought it was important for us to start this process now. Put the government on notice that we’re here,” Burris said.



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Boy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor

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Boy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor


A fifth grader from Minneapolis received the Citizen Honor Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Victor Greenawalt jumped in front of his friend during a mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.

Weston Halsne told local station KARE 11 that Greenawalt saved his life.

“It was really scary,” Halsne told KARE 11. “My friend Victor, like, saved me, though. Because he laid on top of me. But he got hit.”

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Two students were killed and several were injured after a shooter opened fire through the windows of the church last year. The shooter died on the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Congressional Medal Society said in a statement that Greenawalt showed “extraordinary bravery far beyond his years.”

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 3: Flowers line a pathway to Annunciation Catholic Church as U.S. Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance visit to pay their respects to victims of the shooting there on September 3, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The shooting left two students dead and many more wounded. (Photo by Alex Wroblewski-Pool/Getty Images)

“Instinctively, Victor protected a classmate with his own body, directly saving their life during the attack,” the society said in a written statement. “His courage and selflessness became a powerful symbol of hope and humanity for a community in crisis.”

Greenawalt was hospitalized following the shooting, according to a verified GoFundMe page. His sister was also injured.

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He flew to Washington with his family on Wednesday to accept the award.

Greeenawalt met with Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., while on Capitol Hill. The ceremony also included a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery.

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He received the Young Hero award, which honors individuals age 17 or younger for their courage.

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