On Jamal Mitchell’s third day on patrol as a Minneapolis police officer, he and another officer ran into a burning house and rescued an elderly couple.

“He was a hero,” Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell said Thursday night. “I’ve never met an officer that received an award on the third day on the job during his” field training.

Mitchell, 36, was killed in the line of duty Thursday afternoon in gunfire that resulted in the deaths of two other people and the wounding of four more.

“Like everyone, every police officer has a story; every officer has hopes and dreams,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said in a statement early Friday. “Sadly, Officer Jamal Mitchell’s hopes and dreams ended with his life on Thursday.”

Mitchell responded to a report of a double shooting in an apartment building in the Whittier neighborhood. “While rendering aid to an injured male, the injured male pulled a gun and assassinated Officer Mitchell and continued to shoot him after he fell to the ground,” O’Hara said.

Mitchell was a father and was engaged to be married. O’Hara asked people to keep Mitchell’s loved ones and friends in their prayers.

“I knew Jamal,” O’Hara said. “I had the distinct honor of swearing in Jamal as a Minneapolis police officer. Shortly after hitting the street, I commended and honored him for running into a burning house in the 5th Precinct to rescue an elderly couple. He loved the job, he loved the MPD, and he was faithful to the oath he swore.”

After the fire rescue in February 2023, Mitchell told KARE 11: “We’re not trained to run into fires, but being in the field of policing, it’s a potential. We’re here to serve our community and we’re often first on scene.”

Mitchell previously worked for the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Police Department, according to a proclamation from Gov. Tim Walz ordering flags to fly at half-staff at all state buildings on Friday.

After the fire rescue, Mitchell told Fox 9 he got into law enforcement “to do what I can to save lives, serve the community.” And that’s what authorities says Mitchell was doing Thursday.

Investigators are determining the circumstances of what happened, but the head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Thursday night that he’d seen video and Mitchell “was ambushed.”

After Mitchell was shot, responding officers exchanged gunfire with the gunman, according to O’Hara. Another Minneapolis officer who was shot has been treated and released from the hospital. A firefighter was also wounded in the shooting. The suspect died at the scene.

Another person, believed to be a bystander, was shot and was in critical condition as of Thursday night.

The location where Mitchell was attacked was about a block and a half from the original call.

Police found two adult male victims with gunshot wounds at an apartment, according to BCA Superintendent Drew Evans. One was pronounced dead and the second, who was gravely injured, was taken to the hospital.

“We believe this is isolated to the two different locations,” Evans said Thursday night. “… We believe that the individuals in the apartment had some level of acquaintance with each other.”

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By PAUL J. WEBER and JAMIE STENGLE (Associated Press)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court on Friday rejected a challenge to one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the U.S. following a lawsuit by women who had serious pregnancy complications.

The ruling from the court, whose nine justices are all elected Republicans, is the latest decision to uphold Texas’ abortion ban, which critics say does not offer enough clarity over when exceptions are allowed.

“Texas law permits a life-saving abortion,” the court wrote in the order signed by Republican Justice Jane Bland.

Last summer, state District Judge Jessica Mangrum had granted a temporary injunction preventing Texas from enforcing the ban against doctors who in their “good faith judgment” ended a pregnancy that they determined was unsafe because of complications. But that was immediately blocked by an appeal from the Texas attorney general’s office to the state’s Supreme Court.

The lawsuit filed in March 2023 didn’t seek to repeal Texas’ abortion ban, but instead aimed to force more clarity on when exceptions are allowed.

It argued that exemptions under the law, which allows an abortion to save a mother’s life or prevent the impairment of a major bodily function, are written too vaguely and create confusion among doctors, who were turning away some pregnant women experiencing health complications because they feared repercussions.

The plaintiffs said the abortion ban has made medical professionals wary of facing liability if the state does not consider the situation a medical emergency.

___

Stengle reported from Dallas.

Minnesota United vs. Sporting Kansas City

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Allianz Field
Stream: Apple TV Season Pass
Radio: KSTP-AM 1500 ESPN
Weather: 75 degrees, sunny, 5 mph east wind
Betting line: MNUFC minus-135; draw plus-290; SKC plus-310

Form: MNUFC (7-3-4, 25 points) ended a six-game unbeaten run with a 2-0 loss to LAFC on Wednesday; the Loons offense was missing in action. Kansas City (2-8-5, 11 points) have lost six straight, are winless in nine and sit in a last-place tie in the Western Conference.

Last matchup: Sporting’s losing skid started with a 2-1 loss to MNUFC on April 27. The Loons were boosted by early goals from Michael Boxall and Tani Oluwaseyi in St. Paul, but held on after Alan Pulido scored in the 37th minute. Loons head coach Eric Ramsay was displeased in how his team were on the back foot for large stretches to finish the match.

Hot seat? SKC’s Peter Vermes is the longest-tenured coach in MLS, starting in 2009. But could that run be coming to an end? Fans at Children’s Mercy Park booed after Wednesday’s loss to Vancouver.

Quote: “We’re not getting results,” Vermes was quoted by the Kansas City Star. “You can play bad and win and nobody cares. But right now, we’re not getting the results. So, I understand the frustration.”

Absences: Emanuel Reynoso (transfer to Club Tijuana) has left MNUFC for good. Hugo Bacharach (knee) and Alejandro Bran (international duty) are out. Franco Fragapane (leg) is questionable; he missed the LAFC game.

Look-ahead: If MNUFC and Club Tijuana both advance to the knockout rounds of Leagues Cup this summer, there’s a chance Reynoso could play against his former club in the round of 16 or quarterfinals. Stars would have to align for that situation to occur.

Stats: The Loons are playing their third match in eight days Saturday, but only four players have played all 180 minutes across the previous two and 18 total players have taken the field. The Loons should be pretty fresh.

Projected XI: In a 5-2-3 formation, LW Sang Bin Jeong, CF Tani Oluwaseyi, RW Bongi Hlongwane; CM Robin Lod, CM Wil Trapp; LB Joseph Rosales, CB Micky Tapias, CB Michael Boxall, CB Kervin Arriaga, RB Caden Clark; GK Dayne St. Clair.

Players to watch: Vermes made eight changes to the starting lineup midweek, but went with the front three of Alan Pulido, Daniel Salloi and Johnny Russel for 30 minutes. They only have six combined goals this season.

Prediction: Both teams struggled to score midweek and that appears likely to continue Saturday. MNUFC could use a home win, especially with seven players to be away for international duties next weekend. Loons eke it out 1-0.