FARGO, N.D. — One police officer was killed and two others were critically injured in a shooting that also left the suspect dead on a busy street in Fargo, North Dakota, police said.
The Fargo Police Department identified the officer killed in the Friday incident as Jake Wallin, who grew up and went to high school in St. Michael.
Wallin was a veteran of the Minnesota National Guard who had joined the police department less than three months ago, according to Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski. Wallin was in the process of field training when he was killed, according to the police department.
He was 23 years old.
“I don’t know what to say that he didn’t say perfectly himself in that video,” said Jeff Wallin, Jake's father. “That is exactly who he was.”
"The citizen Soldiers and Airmen of the Minnesota National Guard extend our deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Sgt. Jake Wallin. His death is a loss to our military family as well.," said Army Lt. Col. Kristen Augé, Minnesota National Guard's state public affairs officer, in a statement.
The other two officers who were critically injured in the incident were identified as Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes.
Hawes was also field training and attended the University of Minnesota-Morris. He was sworn in as an officer on April 19, 2023 and was Wallin’s classmate. He is currently completing FPD field training. Prior to joining FPD, he worked as a corrections officer.
Dotas is a six-year FPD team member and serves as an FPD Training Officer, a member of the Crowd Management Team, Red River Valley SWAT Negotiations Team and a department Motorcycle Officer. Dotas is also a member of the North Dakota Air National Guard.
Both Dotas and Hawes suffered gunshot wounds and remain in critical but stable conditions.
The police department said 37-year-old Fargo resident Mohamad Barakat is the suspect in the incident. He was shot and killed by Fargo Police Officer Zachary Robinson.
Robinson a seven-year FPD team member who stopped the threat by shooting and killing the suspect, according to the Fargo Police Department. Robinson was serving as Wallin’s Training Officer at the time of the incident and has been placed on paid administrative leave while the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NDBCI) conducts an investigation into the use of force.
“The events of the last 24 hours have been among the most difficult in our department’s nearly 150-year history. This was a heinous and unthinkable act of aggression against our officers and the entire metro community," said Chief Zibolski at a Saturday press conference.
A 25-year-old woman also was seriously wounded in the shooting that happened just before 3 p.m. Friday, added Zibolski.
Officials at the press conference provided no details on how the shooting unfolded or on a possible motive.
Many witnesses said they saw a man open fire on officers before other officers shot him.
One woman said she was driving when she saw the officers fall.
“I saw the traffic stop and as soon as I drove, shots were fired and I saw the cops go down,” Shannon Nichole told KFGO Radio. “My airbag went off and the bullet went through my driver’s door.”
Police initially said little about the shooting, calling it only a “critical incident” for nine hours. Early details emerged from witnesses, who said they saw the shooting or heard the sound of gunshots. Shortly after the shooting, officers converged on a residential area about 2 miles away and evacuated residents while gathering what they said was related evidence.
Chenoa Peterson told The Associated Press that she was driving with her 22-year-old daughter when a man pulled out a gun and began firing at police: “He proceeds to aim it and you just hear the bullets go off, and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God! He’s shooting!’”
Peterson’s first instinct was to pull over and try to help, but having her daughter there convinced her to leave. “It’s weird knowing that if you were 10 seconds earlier you could have been in that,” she said.
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