Fargo police chief updates officer-involved shooting incident on Saturday; honors fallen and injured officers

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski spoke to the media and community at a press conference on Saturday afternoon regarding the officer-involved shooting incident that happened at the scene of an accident on Friday.

On July 14th, emergency responders were called to an accident scene at 25th Street South near 9th Avenue around 3 pm. Witnesses say, as law enforcement officers were analyzing the scene, a bystander pulled a rifle from the trunk of the vehicle and began firing at the officers.

During the attack, 23-year-old Officer Jake Wallin (wah-leen) was shot and killed. Officer Andrew Dotas and Officer Tyler Hawes were critically injured in the attack. Officer Zach Robinson returned fire and killed the suspect.

“Officer Wallin was sworn into our department less than three months ago…April 24th, 2023,” Zabolski said. “He was an individual who was also a military veteran, served in the Minnesota National Guard, and went on numerous deployments including Afghanistan. He served his country, came back here, and wanted nothing more than to serve in a position with purpose.”

Wallin, a native of St. Michael-Albertville, was also a graduate of the law enforcement program at Alexandria Tech.

Officers Dotas and Hawes sustained gunshot wounds and are currently in critical stable condition with serious injuries at a local healthcare facility. Dotas is a six-year Fargo Police team member. Hawes was Wallin’s classmate in the FPD Academy.

Officer Zach Robinson is a seven-year FPD team member. He eliminated the threat by shooting and killing 37-year-old Mohamad Barakat. Barakat, a Fargo resident, was transported from the scene to a local healthcare facility where he later died. Zobolski said that Barakat was not involved in the traffic accident that was being investigated.

Robinson was serving as Wallin’s Training Officer at the time of the incident and has been placed on standard paid administrative leave while the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NDBCI) conducts an investigation into the use of force.

A 25-year-old female Fargo resident was also shot during the critical incident. She was transported from the scene to a local healthcare facility with serious injuries.

“Our officers were out there investigating what we would say was a routine traffic accident,” said Zibolski. “As they were doing that, for whatever reason this individual began firing at them, striking three of them. He also fired shots at the firefighters who were also on scene tending to the crash victims. Firefighters performed potentially life-saving care on our officers. Had they not been there, this could have been an entirely different situation.”

Law enforcement officers also evacuated an area of the 2800 block of 23rd Avenue South on Friday evening where officials begin to gather evidence related to the shooting. FBI and US Marshalls were dispatched to the scene.

“There is no known reason for this. I think down the road we will find out the whys,” said Zibolski. “I am confident that our friends at the NDBCI and FBI, as they work through this particular investigation, will put the pieces of the puzzle together as to why this individual chose to do this.”

The incident remains under investigation. No further information is available at this time.

Detroit Lakes Public Schools auctioning off surplus items; bidding closes July 24

Detroit Lakes Public Schools are holding an online public auction for many of their surplus items.

The auction features 115 different items including: circular, fold-up lunch tables, audio speakers, band saws and belt sanders, wooden cubby holes for personal items, chairs and various cabinets and shelving.

The online auction is currently open at K-Bid Online Auction and will close on July 24 at 6 p.m. 

No delivery is available for the auction and items must be picked up at the school district’s bus garage on the back corner of the M State Detroit Lakes parking lot.

Other terms and conditions can be found on the K-Bid website.

87th annual Northwest Water Carnival kicks-off to big crowds on first weekend

The 87th annual Northwest Water Carnival officially kicked-off to big crowds Friday night with about a thousand people showing up in City Park for performance from the man in black himself.

The Church of Cash, a Johnny Cash tribute band, headlined the last of five, free summer Trucks and Tunes concert events, hosted by Project 412, at the bandshell in City Park.

Jay Earnest, lead singer for Church of Cash, said he could tell that crowd was just excited to see a nice show in the park on a wonderful evening.

“When everybody is here and they want to be a part of the night,” said Earnest. “They are enjoying what Detroit Lakes has to offer, and we were just lucky enough to be the band, to be here at this spot. I’m enjoying it. They are enjoying it. And it’s just a beautiful summer day in Minnesota.”

Earnest said he and his bandmates can play up to 150 concert dates across the country and internationally every year.

He also had an at-the-ready answer for a question, as a tribute to the famed folk/country artist, has come up more than once: Do you have a favorite Johnny Cash song?

“It was when Johnny Cash played with the Highwaymen and it’s the theme song to Highwayman,” he said.

Following the concert in the park, the crowd then migrated to Lakeside Tavern and Brewery on West Lake Drive for the official Detroit Lakes Jaycees street concert with Kissing Company.

The event drew hundreds and attendees had their first opportunities to fill their $60 unlimited beer mugs, which can be purchased from the Jaycees at their event table and grant the purchaser free refills for the entire 10-day festival.

On Saturday, it was time for crashes and destruction at the Becker County Fairgrounds for the Water Carnival’s annual demo derby event.

By 6 p.m., the grandstand and bleachers were packed with spectators, which was one thing Rachel Kohler, the Jaycees organizer for the event, was glad to see.

“As a chair, you always get really nervous that nothing is going to work out, you won’t get cars, you won’t get people,” said Kohler. “But, it turned out good. A late start, but good.”

Kohler grew up watching her family compete in demo derbies and jumped at the opportunity to host the event this year.

“Demo-ing has been in my family for a long time,” she said. “I have four cousins that demo, a brother that demos, and we’ve been to every single demo at the Becker County Fair and the Water Carnival probably ever since I was a little tike. We never miss it, so going into this year, I knew this was the event I wanted to chair.”

One of the new additions to this year’s derby was a raffle car, which allowed spectators to buy a $20 raffle ticket for their own chance to drive in the compact cars demo derby final. By the time the events were underway, the Jaycees had sold more than 75 tickets for the demo driving opportunity.

The idea of the raffle car came from demo derby regular Josh Wurst, who said he just thought it would be a great way to use his talents to raise money for the Jaycees and get more people involved in the sport.

“I figured I wanted to get more people involved with the sport,” said Wurst. “And nowadays, not a lot of kids, or anyone for that matter is really mechanical, so I figured get this raffle car built.” 

Wurst said he has been running in demo derbies for the last 13 years, but his love and passion for demo derbies started in the front row of the Becker County Fairgrounds just like many kids who showed up on Saturday night.

“Young people, they look up to the guys that are driving the cars and they say, ‘when I grow up, I want to drive a demo car,'” he said. “That’s the way I was. I sat in that bleacher over there in the center for many, many years.”

As for the raffle car, the lucky winner was Christy Chilton of Vergas, who ended up holding her own until the very end of her demo round. She finished as the runner-up during the compact car final.

Knutson memorial held in Fargo on Saturday; small memorial set up on Muir Lane and South Shore Drive

Fargo Marathon race director Mark Knutson, who died in a tragic bicycle accident last weekend, was honored at a memorial service in Fargo this weekend.

On Saturday, hundreds across the Red River Valley region shared memories, laughs, and tears honoring Knutson one week after he was killed by a truck towing a boat while riding his bicycle.

Saturday morning, runners from the Fargo-Moorhead region marched to Detroit Lakes to run along the lake to honor his legacy. A tribute for Mark is set up where Muir Lane intersects with South Shore Drive. It’s near the area of the crash.

Knutson coordinated the Fargo Marathon for 19 years, as well as managed the Dick Beardsley Races in Detroit Lakes among other projects. He became the General Manager of Detroit Mountain last year and revamped the area in to a year-round tourist destination.

According to Detroit Lakes Police Chief Steve Todd, surveillance footage shows Knutson losing control of his bicycle and falling into the path of the passing pickup and boat trailer.

The incident remains under investigation, but Todd said it doesn’t appear the driver violated any law.

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