Officer Killed Friday in Fargo Was a St. Michael Native

(KNSI) – A Minnesota native has been identified as the officer killed during a shootout in Fargo, North Dakota on Friday.

Jake Wallin grew up in St. Michael and attended Alexandria Technical and Community College. The 23-year-old advanced to American Military University and then served as part of the Minnesota National Guard. Wallin joined the Fargo Police Department just this past April.

Two other officers were also shot and admitted to the hospital in critical condition. Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes are currently listed as stable. A woman was seriously injured by the gunman before Officer Zach Robinson finally shot and killed the man.

The suspect has been identified as 37-year-old Mohamad Barakat of Fargo. In a Saturday press conference, Police Chief David Zibolski said that there are still a lot of questions about what happened. The police officers were responding to an accident when Barakat opened fire. It does not appear that Barakat was involved in the crash. The incident happened at about 3:00 p.m Friday.

State Representative Walter Hudson, who represents St. Michael, issued the following press release Saturday evening.

He said, “I offer my most sincere condolences to the family, friends and fellow law enforcement officers of Officer Jake Wallin. It is beyond concerning to see yet another peace officer lost. We cannot afford to ignore this issue any longer and must do better to improve the working environment for peace officers and foster respect for the profession. God bless Officer Wallin and please keep those he leaves behind in your hearts and prayers.”

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