Honoring a fallen Salisbury Police Department hero

Salisbury, Md- First responders gathered in Salisbury this afternoon to pay respects to fallen veteran Senior Corporal Ryan Mitchell.

David Meienschein, Salisbury’s chief of police, shared: “The best way to describe Ryan was dedicated. He was a career officer with Salisbury, with 30 years of service. He loved his squad, and he loved the folks.”

Police agencies from all over the Shore joined together Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the life of Ryan Mitchell, who unexpectedly died in his home on Friday. Many of the officers had worked with him for all 30 years he served.

Jason Yankalunas, a retired Salisbury captain, said, “As the chief said in his eulogy, Ryan embodied the Salisbury Police Department. He liked to have a good time. He worked hard. He played hard. He loved his coworkers. We should all be so lucky as to have somebody like him in our lives.”

Mitchell was known for his humor, dedication, unwavering support, calm nature, and, of course, his humor.

“And he took good care of us. He always liked to feed us,” Yankalunas said. “But it really can’t be understated. He brought in food not only for his squad but for the whole department all the time. He joked all the time about ‘Mitchell’s Meats’, it was going to be his side gig.”

The impact Mitchell made went beyond the badge.

“Ryan, I love you. I wish the best to his girls. I know they’re going through a tough time. If they ever need anything, I hope they’re comfortable enough to come to the police department or to those of us who worked with Ryan and ask for help. We’ll do anything we can,” Yankalunas said.

Officials say it is a big loss for the department, and Mitchell will be severely missed.