This bodycam footage depicts Fargo, ND police officers being ambushed by a rifle-wielding attacker as they respond to a vehicle crash. Due to the several casualties shown, viewer discretion is advised.

The footage begins with Officer Zach Robinson conducting traffic in the middle of the road. There are three officers on the side of the road to his right, and the Fire Department has staged to his rear in response to the traffic collision. At 0:37, rifle fire can be heard. A bystander later stated she saw the suspect reaching into the trunk of a grey sedan approximately 20 paces from the officers. Robinson drops to use a nearby BMW as cover as in the background, the furthest officer back goes down. He calls in the “shots fired” over the radio and fires at the suspect (later identified as 37 year old Mohamad Barakat) who is using his sedan as cover. He continues to exchange gunfire with Barakat as he radios the situation.

At 01:07, he reports that the three officers initially ambushed are all down, and as he comes around the rear of the BMW, we see them lying on the ground. “Send everybody.” Robinson then makes the difficult, and correct, choice and pressing the threat rather than stopping to aid his friends.

Barakat is seen lying on his side on the passenger side of the vehicle he had been using as cover. Robinson orders him to stop moving, but Barakat ignores him. The officer repeatedly tells the suspect to raise his hands as Barakat continues to reach. The suspect blindly fires another weapon at 01:40, prompting Robinson to fire back. He gets offline to reload at 01:43 before getting back in the fight. As he clears the corner of the sedan, he sees Barakat still holding a pistol and fires while giving him repeated commands to drop it. Despite being commanded and shot several times, the suspect refuses to drop the weapon. Officer Robinson flanks around Barakat, coming in from the back of the sedan and shooting him several times in the head at 02:24.

One bystander was hit, and the leftmost officer, Jake Wallin (a military veteran and officer in the FTO program) was killed, and the other two critically wounded. Officer Robinson shot the suspect a total of 21 times, having fired 31 times. Barakat’s vehicle was later searched, wherein other weapons, including explosives, were found.

About the Author

Cole Simms

Cole Simms is an Air Guardsman, NASA enthusiast, police officer, and security contractor with particular experience in austere environments. Outside of work, he volunteers as a Stop The Bleed instructor for area schools. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and blends his knowledge and experience to write analysis for Funker530.

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