October 23, 2025 MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O’Hara announced today that the Minneapolis Police Department has earned two of the most distinguished awards in international policing at the 2025 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Annual Conference — the largest and most prestigious law enforcement organization in the world.
The IACP Officer of the Year Award — considered one of the highest honors in global policing — was presented to Officer Jamal Mitchell (posthumously), Officer Nicholas Kapinos, Officer Eric Withanom, and Officer Luke Kittock for their extraordinary heroism and sacrifice in the line of duty.
In addition, the MPD Juvenile Investigations Unit received the IACP Leadership in Community Policing Award for its groundbreaking Juvenile Curfew Task Force, recognized nationally as a model for how police can build trust and improve outcomes for at-risk youth.
“Today, hard work and extraordinary progress in our Minneapolis Police Department is being recognized internationally,” said Mayor Frey. “Our Juvenile Curfew Task Force is seeing the results that can be achieved when we invest in our young people and build out relationships with families. And, Officer Mitchell’s heroism – and the bravery of Officers Kapinos, Withanom, and Kittock – reflects the very best of our city. These honors recognize the incredible progress happening within MPD and under Chief O’Hara.”
“On behalf of the MPD, I want to thank the IACP for these two incredible honors,” said Chief O’Hara. “These awards represent the dedication and selfless service of every member of this department. Officer Mitchell was exceptional — but he was not the exception. Jamal rose to the occasion to help someone in need—and it cost him his life. His courage, and that of Officers Kapinos, Withanom, and Kittock reflect the bravery and sacrifice Minneapolis police officers demonstrate every day.
Our Juvenile Curfew Task Force shows what is possible when police, families, and communities work together to protect our youth and reduce violent crime. This international recognition is a testament to the progress and professionalism of the MPD.”
IACP Police Officer of the Year
On May 30, 2024, Officer Jamal Mitchell responded first to a shooting scene where two people appeared to need assistance. As he approached one of them — who turned out to be the suspect — he was ambushed and fatally shot. The suspect then opened fire on arriving firefighters and officers.
Officers Kapinos, Withanom, and Kittock responded immediately under heavy gunfire. Officer Kittock engaged the suspect with his patrol rifle, while Officer Withanom used a ballistic shield to protect firefighters and fellow officers. Officer Kapinos returned fire and provided cover for those rendering aid to Officer Mitchell.
Their valor protected firefighters and several innocent bystanders and prevented additional loss of life. Officer Mitchell’s family — including his partner and young daughter — accepted his award on his behalf.
The other finalists for the Officer of the Year Award included:
—Pakistani National Police Inspector Waseem Ahmad Khan, who had uncovered a terrorist plot to attack the 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.
—Officer Luke Alderman from Winston-Salem, North Carolina Police Department, who responded to a home invasion where he stopped a gunman and rescued a mother and her six children.
—Officer Salvador Acevedo Jr. from the California Highway Patrol, who located a daughter who had been kidnapped by her mother 15 years earlier and reunited her with her father.
IACP Leadership in Community Policing Award
MPD’s Juvenile Curfew Task Force, operated by the Juvenile Investigations Unit, was created in response to a surge in violent juvenile crime. Using proactive, intelligence-led strategies, the Task Force connects at-risk youth and their families to supportive services — reframing police interactions as opportunities for prevention, not punishment.
Officers regularly meet with parents, guardians, and siblings of youth most at risk, opening lines of communication that provide real-time intelligence and highlight systemic service gaps. The results have been transformative, and this approach has now become a national model for community policing, shared through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Public Safety Partnership.
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