DALLAS — On Monday, the sally port at Dallas Police Department Northeast Patrol Division was filled with coworkers and family members of late Officer Mitchell Penton. A ceremony was held in his honor.
This month marks one year since his death. On Feb. 13, 2021, Penton was struck by a suspected intoxicated driver while working the scene of a crash on North Central Expressway at Walnut Hill Lane. He was taken to Baylor Hospital, where he died. Penton was only 27 years old.
During the ceremony, a portrait of Officer Penton was unveiled. It was painted in pastel by Dallas artist James Spurlock. Since 1986, he's worked on portraits of fallen officers for the Dallas Police Department. While painting, he immediately noticed Penton's smile, something many of his colleagues pointed out.
"They've got this image that nobody can forget now, and it's part of history," said Spurlock.
Penton's family watched as honor guards removed the navy blue cloth, unveiling the portrait. His wife, stepson and newborn, who never got to meet his father, were all there. The family took the portrait inside the building to hang on the wall.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said, "Every day patrol officers enter the station, they'll remember that sacrifice and they will honor our fallen, and they will honor Mitchell by going out and serving this community."
Penton's portrait joins the paintings of five other officers in the Northeast Division who died in the line of duty before him.