Minneapolis police officer dies in ambush shooting that left two other people dead, including a suspected gunman

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis police officer responded to a call about a shooting Thursday and was ambushed and killed when he stopped to help a man who appeared to be a victim. That man shot the officer instead, authorities said.

The death of Officer Jamal Mitchell occurred during a chaotic situation involving two crime scenes two blocks apart. Three people died, two others were hospitalized in critical condition, and another officer and a firefighter suffered less serious injuries.

“I saw the video and he was ambushed,” said Drew Evans, head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, at an evening press conference. “I use that term for a reason.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said authorities were still investigating the incident and asked the public to “be patient with us as we do not yet know all the facts. We want to make sure the investigation is complete and that we do it right.”

Police provided a brief account of the events, beginning with their response to a 911 call about a shooting at an apartment complex in the south Minneapolis neighborhood of Whittier.

When Mitchell was about two blocks from the complex, he noticed injured people. He got out of his car to help a man who eventually shot the police officer.

Another officer arrived and exchanged fire with the gunman, who died despite officers’ life-saving efforts, said Minneapolis Deputy Police Chief Katie Blackwell.

The officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Evans said another person, believed to be an innocent bystander, was shot and taken to a hospital in critical condition. The firefighter was also shot and injured.

When other officers entered the apartment, they found two people shot inside. One was dead and the other was in critical condition in the hospital, Evans said.

Evans said he believes the shooting was confined to two locations and that the people in the apartment “knew each other to some extent.”

The connection between the two shootings was not immediately clear. Police said there was no danger to the public.

The shooting occurred three months after two police officers and a firefighter paramedic in the Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville were killed, while Responding to a domestic violence emergency callIn that case, a man began shooting from inside a home where seven children were present. A third officer was injured before the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said the state’s citizens would once again experience the trauma of seeing public safety officers die while rushing to help people in need.

“This trauma should quickly turn into anger and the belief that something like this cannot happen,” he said. “We don’t have to live like this.”

Mitchell had been with the police force for about 18 months. He was a father and engaged to be married. Police officers lined up outside Hennepin County Medical Center, where Mitchell was pronounced dead.

“The city of Minneapolis has lost a hero in Officer Jamal Mitchell,” said Frey. “This officer made the ultimate sacrifice to protect and save the lives of others. His life, his service and his name will forever be remembered in the city of Minneapolis.”

Minneapolis police posted on Facebook last year that Mitchell and another officer rescued an elderly couple from a house fire.

On Feb. 7, 2023, Mitchell’s third day on the job, he and Officer Zachery Randall responded to a call and found a house on fire, the post said. Officers ran inside and got the couple out before the house was fully engulfed in flames and destroyed.

“Their quick actions … were truly heroic as they prevented this fire from becoming even more tragic,” Chief Brian O’Hara said in the post.

“He was a wonderful man,” Blackwell said. “He was extraordinary in every way.”

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Thiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska.