Vigil held in honor of fallen MPD officer Jamal Mitchell
MINNEAPOLIS — Community members gathered at the site of Thursday's shooting in Minneapolis to pray and pay their respects to law enforcement.
"So many people lost their lives and got injured. And some people did, and they didn't even know what was going on, just was in the way of fire," neighbor Valerie Mack said.
She heard the music from the vigil and ventured out of her nearby apartment to join faith leaders, violence interrupter groups and law enforcement officers.
"We have to keep the faith, we have to keep showing up, keep showing out, we gotta keep going after the life we know we deserve for ourselves, our babies and our elders," Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said.
Those who knew fallen officer Jamal Mitchell said he wore his badge with integrity, honor and respect.
"People would say he would just stop by and ask if everything is okay after an incident a couple days later. That's the kind of cop we want in Minneapolis," said Minneapolis Police Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell.
Lisa Clemons, chief executive officer of A Mother's Love Initiative, thanked the 911 dispatchers who answered the call that day.
"I think people don't really understand what goes through your body, your mind, your heart when you get these calls. So I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart," Clemons said.
Mitchell's aunt and Godmother Denise Raper, who lives in Connecticut, said her tight-knit family is feeling loved during this time of tragedy.
"We saw his cruiser decorated with his picture and flowers and it brought us to tears because we knew you loved him as well, he was loved very much so by Minnesota, and Minneapolis," Raper said.
Raper said she helped raise Mitchell, who was one of seven siblings. She said he was always there to help and treated everyone with respect, something he learned growing up in a family of ministers.
"I want people to remember Jamal for the kind acts he did. It didn't matter to him, who you were, where you came, if he could do anything to help you, he would do that," she said.
Plans for a public memorial service are still being finalized.