Public memorial held Wednesday afternoon for fallen Fargo officer

By KSTP

Community remembers fallen Fargo Police Officer Jake Wallin

Family, the public and law enforcement filled Scheels Arena in Fargo on Wednesday to celebrate the life of Police Officer Jake Wallin.

The 23-year-old St. Michael native was killed in the line of duty earlier this month.

Family spoke fondly of the Minnesota National Guardsman who joined the Fargo Police Department in April.

“We do not believe Jake would harbor any regrets,” his father, Jeff Wallin, said. “He was not in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was exactly where his heart and determination for his fellow man dictated he should be there at that moment.”

Two of the officers hurt in the shooting couldn’t attend but taped video messages to be shared.

A service was held last weekend at Pequot Lakes High School after Wallin’s body was escorted there from Fargo.

As previously reported, Wallin was shot and killed when a gunman opened fire on crews that had responded to a traffic crash in Fargo. The shooting injured two other officers, including Tyler Hawes, another Minnesota native.

Law enforcement killed the gunman, Mohamad Barakat, 37, who had more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition in his car, along with a grenade and other explosives, according to North Dakota officials.

If you’d like to support the Fargo police officers involved and their families, the department has shared a link to a fundraising page.