On April 4, 1992, Chicago Police Officer Donald “Mitch” Mitchell lost his life after suffering an apparent heart attack following a foot chase of an alleged gang member near a South Side funeral home. He was 46 years old and a 22 year veteran of the Chicago Police Department. 

Officer Mitchell was assigned to the Gang Crimes South unit and was on duty near the funeral home due to concerns about possible gang violence during the funeral of an alleged gang member. After chasing a suspect for about a block and apprehending him, Mitchell accompanied the man to the Morgan Park station for booking, where he suffered the heart attack. He was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. 

Former partner Detective Ricardo Pavon described Mitchell as “the kind of guy that could never close his eyes to crime” and said he “always had an extra minute for you, whether it was to teach a younger officer about police work or to talk about his passion, fishing.” 

Officer Mitchell’s decorations from the department included one lifesaving award and three department commendations. 

Donald “Mitch” Mitchell is survived by his wife, Cathy, two children, Joshua and Jessi, and a sister.