Fargo officials share video from fatal shooting

CATHY WURZER: Well, body camera footage released earlier today details the moments before and after the killing of Fargo police officer Jake Wallin last month Wallin was killed on July 14 when a gunman, Mohamad Barakat, opened fire on four Fargo officers who were responding to a traffic accident. Two other Fargo officers were critically injured. And a civilian bystander suffered serious injuries.

CATHY WURZER: At a news conference in Fargo this morning, officials showed footage captured from Officer Zachary Robinson's bodycam. Robinson was the officer who returned Barakat's fire, ultimately killing him. MPR News reporter Mathew Holding Eagle the third was at today's news conference and joins us right now with more. Mathew, thanks for joining us.

MATHEW HOLDING EAGLE III: Thanks for having me.

CATHY WURZER: You watch the body camera video. What did it show?

MATHEW HOLDING EAGLE III: Oh, it was difficult to watch. The footage shows four officers at the scene of a car accident in Fargo. Suddenly, there's a barrage of shots fired from a gunman later identified as 37-year-old Mohamad Barakat.

Three officers were hit and went down. Officer Zachary Robinson, who was nearby, then moves toward the shooter. He returns fire and yelling repeatedly-- and yells repeatedly for him to drop his gun and raise his hands as he returns fire at Barakat.

North Dakota's attorney general Drew Wrigley said that Robinson shot 31 rounds at Barakat with 21 rounds hitting him, ultimately killing him. The shooting episode, which was harrowing, played out over a minute and 46 seconds, which Wrigley called a lifetime in those circumstances. Police Chief David Zibolski was also at the press conference. He praised Robinson's actions and said his response prevented more deaths.

DAVID ZIBOLSKI: What you're looking at is an act of extreme courage and valor, an individual who knew that when he was under attack, he needed to neutralize that threat as quickly as possible to allow for life-saving measures to be administered to the rest of our cops and that citizen.

MATHEW HOLDING EAGLE III: "Wallin does unholster his weapon," Wrigley said, "does get off one round. Just before he's about to get his left hand to steady the weapon further, he is struck by a single round of Barakat's 223." "Officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes were both shot multiple times before they had a chance to respond. It was an absolute complete ambush," said Wrigley.

CATHY WURZER: I'm wondering, was Barakat-- was he wearing any body armor? Did it appear to officials like he was ready to engage in something?

MATHEW HOLDING EAGLE III: From the outside appearances, Robinson probably believed that Barakat was wearing body armor. But the investigation and other outlets have reported that he was not.

CATHY WURZER: I see. Was there an update this morning on how these shooting victims are doing? Are they doing OK?

MATHEW HOLDING EAGLE III: Everyone's out of the hospital and recovering. They were critically injured but have been released from the hospital. A 25-year-old woman who was nearby at the time also suffered serious injuries.

CATHY WURZER: Did they talk about a possible motive?

MATHEW HOLDING EAGLE III: Previously, they said there was no known motive. Wrigley did not offer any more clues about the motive. At a briefing last month, another official said Barakat studied mass killings online and armed himself with guns and explosives in preparation for doing it himself. He also blacked out the windows in his vehicle so no one could see inside.

CATHY WURZER: So is the investigation over, at least for now?

MATHEW HOLDING EAGLE III: Authorities said the review of the incident continues but that Robinson's actions have been deemed justified. The Fargo Police Department's Professional Accountability Division has investigated Robinson's use of force that day but found no violations. Robinson has since returned to active duty.

CATHY WURZER: All right. So maybe to be continued here with more information. I appreciate your time, Mathew. Thank you so much.

MATHEW HOLDING EAGLE III: Thank you.

CATHY WURZER: That was NPR News reporter Mathew Holding Eagle III.