Martinus Mitchum Wiki – Martinus Mitchum Biography
Martinus Mitchum was a Tulane University Police Officer and a Reserve Deputy Sheriff. He was working security during a basketball game at George Washington Carver High School Friday night when John Shallerhorn, 35, appeared.
According to police, Shallerhorn tried to enter the game without a mask and had an argument with a member of the school staff. It was then that Officer Mitchum intervened, trying to reduce the situation. Police say that during his interaction, Shallerhorn drew a gun and fatally shot Mitchum in the chest.
Bertrand, who has been friends with Officer Mitchum for more than a decade, says he made the ultimate sacrifice to protect others.
Martinus Mitchum Age
Martinus Mitchum was 35 years old.
Cause of Death
Shallerhorn allegedly shot Mitchum twice. The officer had been pulling Shallerhorn out of the school after the suspect got into a fight with a school employee for not wearing a mask, WVUE reported Sunday, citing police.
Bertrand, who has been friends with Officer Mitchum for more than a decade, says he made the ultimate sacrifice to protect others.
“I feel like Mitch saved lives last night because we don’t know what that gentleman was really going to do. There were children there, families there. What could you be getting into a tall basketball with a gun? “said Bertrand.
Officer Mitchum’s friends tell us that he was deeply involved in the high school basketball community. They say he served as a coach and mentor to student-athletes, and they say it was his kindness that made people gravitate towards him.
“Mitch would keep kids who needed him close to him and I always wondered why kids would reach out to him, and that’s because he was always there for them,” Wanto Joseph said.
The Tulane University Police Department issued a statement regarding Officer Mitchum’s death that reads in part:
“We are deeply saddened by the senseless and tragic death of Corporal Martinus Mitchum of the TUPD. Corporal Mitchum was a dedicated law enforcement professional who had a heart of service to the Tulane community. ”
A heart of service, which his friends would say is made of gold. When asked how they would remember Officer Mitchum, one word came to mind.
“Anyone who can lay down his life to do something like that is a hero to me,” Joseph said.
“He is a hero to me. A kind of guardian, until the end, a kind of guardian,” Bertrand said.
We contacted Officer Mitchum’s family, who said they are shocked by his death. They said they were very proud of him and that he loved being an officer.
Suspect
The suspect was arrested at the scene and later charged with murder by a police officer and robbery. Before entering the school, Shallerhorn allegedly robbed a man from his chain in the parking lot, according to the report.