Minneapolis police raise money for funeral of deceased Connecticut police officer

Minneapolis police are trying to raise enough money to send numerous officers to Connecticut to attend the funeral of one of their loved ones.

The funeral of Jamal Mitchell, a Minneapolis Police Department officer and New Haven native, will be held Monday at the Floyd Little Athletic Center at Hillhouse High School.

Minneapolis police hope to send 50 officers and 20 honor guard members to pay their respects to the defendants, but as of the beginning of the weekend they were still well short of their $100,000 goal, which would cover flights, hotels, rental cars, food and other expenses, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched by Amy Sizer, president of the Minneapolis Police Foundation.

“Officer Mitchell made such a huge impact in the short time he was here with us,” Sizer said. “Our goal at the Minneapolis Police Foundation is to make sure the people of Connecticut know how much we appreciate him and his sacrifice, and to thank them for loaning him to us for this short time.”

As of Friday afternoon, the fundraiser had raised over $13,000.

In addition to the GoFundMe campaign, donations can also be made directly to the foundation, Sizer said.

Just one week after the funeral of Trooper Aaron Pelletier, another officer killed in the line of duty is on his way home to Connecticut

Mitchell, 36, was killed in the line of duty on May 30 when he responded to a shooting and tried to help a man on the street who he thought was injured, the Associated Press reported. The man shot Mitchell multiple times without warning.

The shooter and two other people were also killed.

Mitchell was a police officer for about 18 months. He was remembered earlier this week in Minneapolis at an event attended by thousands of police officers, family and friends.

Following the funeral, Mitchell’s body was transported to Connecticut.

“Officers around the world need visible signs of emotional and physical support, which means we need to bring Minneapolis officers to his final resting place,” Sizer said.

Mitchell’s funeral on Monday is open to the public. Viewing will be possible from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by a service.

The killed officer will be buried at Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven.

“Officer Mitchell and his story touched many people and various organizations have agreed to cover portions of the travel costs,” Sizer said.

“If there is anything left over, it will be used to fund a memorial for Officer Mitchell in his precinct. Of course, his family lives here. We want to honor him and them and give them a place to go to remember him.”

This report uses information from the Associated Press.