‘Slap in the face’: Minneapolis police used to feeling unsupported by politicians after officer’s killing
Rank and file members of the Minneapolis Police Department continued to be shocked and saddened over the death of Officer Jamal Mitchell, who was shot to death in an ambush while responding to a call by himself on a mandatory overtime rotation. The salt in the wound for MPD officers has been being reminded that decision-makers in the area don’t care much about the tragic situation and what caused it.
Mustafa Mohamed, the suspect who was also killed during the incident, had a criminal history that goes back 20 years. He was not legally allowed to be in possession of a firearm due to a previous felony conviction. He also had been evading arrest for two years, according to KTSP. Another officer was injured in the gun battle with Mohamed.
The city’s response to Mitchell’s death has been mixed. While many politicians have offered support and sympathy, others chose a different path.
‘Most of us who work the streets in Minneapolis saw this coming, and the signs were already there for a long time.’
City councilwoman Aisha Chughtai did not mention Mitchell’s name in her statement and just blamed “gun violence” for the incident. She went on to say the “massive” police response to the shooting made the situation worse for locals who live in and around the crime scene.
Gov. Tim Walz (D) likewise simply labeled the incident as gun violence in his first social media post.
“We still have city council members that refuse to acknowledge the dangers of this job, or the bravery and sacrifice of Mitchell. Councilmember Chughtai is a perfect example of this,” an MPD officer told Blaze News. The lack of support from local politicians is “expected, but this was a blatant slap in the face to Mitchell and his sacrifice.”
“I would argue most cops are used to it by now. They are trying to hijack this tragedy and make it about them [the politicians], as always,” a second MPD officer explained. The officer acknowledged the “small number of city council members who have always been somewhat outspoken supporting the cops, however, the vast majority of the council hates us and have been outspoken about it.”
A third officer said even with the politicians who have responded correctly to Mitchell’s death, with shock and outrage, “The glaring problem is why it’s shocking to them, because I don’t think they could have fathomed that this would happen. Most of us who work the streets in Minneapolis saw this coming, and the signs were already there for a long time.”
The third officer said it should not be surprising at all because “we have been screaming at our administration for years that our work conditions are unsafe.”
A request to reinforce precincts has gone unheeded for years. But even if that were to happen, “All of it is moot because the leadership city and statewide refused to acknowledge the 2,000-pound elephant in the room, which is that criminals are not afraid of prosecution.”
Officers who spoke to Blaze News brought up the recent case of Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty reluctantly dropping murder charges against a state trooper who shot an armed motorist trying to flee because it was within his use-of-force, which was backed up with new evidence. Moriarty still stood by her decision to charge the trooper, a decision that has police in her jurisdiction very concerned.
Moriarty even went as far as to compare supporters of the trooper who protested outside the courthouse to protesters at the Capitol building on January 6, 2021.
“It terrifies cops, myself included, that she is in charge and does everything she can to charge cops,” the second officer said.
“Nobody in the [Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party] will acknowledge that their own people are the cause of this and that their own ideologies are dangerous. Nobody in politics will stand up and say, ‘We had a hand in this.’ We just want accountability and for once to see someone actually talk about how cops are being targeted and law and order disparaged, without someone referencing the ‘murder’ of (the convicted felon) George Floyd,” the third officer explained.
The frustration at city leaders among MPD officers has been ever present since the BLM riots in 2020. Everything from the lack of preparedness to the riots to pursuing pro-crime policies that has resulted in a mass exodus of the force, the officers who remain have faced the uphill battle for over four years with no end in sight.
The memorial service for Mitchell is set for next Tuesday at Maple Grove Senior High School. He leaves behind a fiancee and four children.
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