OSSEO, Minnesota — As the community prepares for a memorial service for Minneapolis Police Officer Jamal Mitchell, people are remembering the man for who he also was behind the badge.
"Exactly the kind of person you'd want to have coaching your kids," A.J. Mansour said.
Mansour first met Mitchell two years ago when they became co-coaches of their sons' Maple Grove-Osseo basketball team. They went on to coach together for two seasons, building memories that A.J. says have left an impact on not just him but his son, too.
Mansour described Mitchell as patient and empathetic. He says, "the things that don't always go hand-in-hand in sports but really make good coaches and mentors stand above others."
Mitchell first joined MPD in 2022. It was a time where the department was still trying to manage life post-George Floyd. Mansour thinks Mitchell's desire to join the force at that time speaks about his character.
"Nobody really wanted to be a police officer at that time. So, the right people who step up and stay in the force, or like Jamal go into it when they need good people; that's really important."
Mitchell leaves behind a fiancé and four children. A service for him will be held on Tuesday at 11 a.m. His body will be flown to Connecticut where he is from for a funeral.
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