MINNEAPOLIS — The loss of a Minneapolis police officer Jamal Mitchell in a mass shooting last Thursday sent a wave of pain throughout the communities in which he lived and worked, including the north metro, where he coached youth basketball.
“Our boys were both on the same team and he was a co-coach with me for two seasons,” said AJ Mansour, who, along with Officer Mitchell, leads the team of first and second grade boys at Osseo Maple Grove. Basketball Association.
Mansour says that in that short time he has seen how special Mitchell is when it comes to making an impact on the next generation.
“He really connected with the guys who maybe weren’t the most competitive but had different assets that they brought to the team. He was gentle and kind,” Mansour said.
Mansour was grateful that his son could learn from Mitchell.
Minneapolis Police Activities League
“It’s going to be a good experience to have a role model outside of your family that brings a lot of the same characteristics that I try to instill in our guys,” Mansour said.
There is a growing monument to Mitchell at the Fifth Precinct where he worked. Even within the police force he found a way to work with children’s and youth athletics. He often donated his time to the Minneapolis Police Activity League, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing juvenile crime by giving children a safe space to play sports, be active and express their creativity, all for free.
Mitchell especially enjoyed reading books to children.
“We need more of these people, both within the force and in our communities,” Mansour said.
