Fargo police officer wounded in 2023 shooting ambush returns to service
Fargo Officer Tyler Hawes released from hospital
Following a deadly shooting that wounded two officers and killed another, the Fargo Police Department celebrated the release of Officer Tyler Hawes from Sanford Health.
FARGO, North Dakota (FOX 9) - A Fargo police officer is returning to serve on the force after he was injured in a shooting that killed another officer and another hurt.
Wounded officer returns to the force
Big picture view:
Officer Tyler Hawes, originally from Eagan, underwent 19 surgeries over 18 months after he was wounded in an ambush shooting in July 2023.
READ MORE: Fargo police shooting: Injured officer was from Eagan
The Fargo Police Department (FPD) said in a social media post on Wednesday that "From the moment he could speak in the hospital, he made one thing clear — he was coming back to serve Fargo."
The department also shared footage showing Hawes leaving Sanford Hospital with supporters applauding his recovery.
The other officer wounded in the shooting, Andrew Dotas, was released just days before him.
Hawes initially returned to the department on a part-time basis, and is now officially back on duty.
Ambush shooting
The backstory:
Officer Dotas, a six-year veteran of the department at the time of the shooting, was also injured.
Officer Jake Wallin, 23, who was a native of St. Michael, was fatally shot in the ambush.
Both Officer Wallin and Officer Hawes were sworn in on April 19, 2023, just months before the shooting.
READ MORE: Fargo Police Officer Jake Wallin of Minnesota killed in shooting, 2 officers injured identified
Fargo police ambushed: Bodycam shows shooting
Dramatic video footage of a shooting ambush last month in Fargo that left one police officer dead and two others and a bystander wounded was shown Thursday, highlighting the surprise nature of the attack on police responding to a routine traffic crash.
The FPD said Wallin described his interest in law enforcement as "an exciting opportunity to truly make a difference in this community."
Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski shared a statement that said, "The events of the last 24 hours have been among the most difficult in our department's nearly 150-year history. This was a heinous and unthinkable act of aggression against our officers and the entire metro community."
READ MORE: Fargo Police shooting: North Dakota Attorney General offers details on ambush attack
Fargo Police shooting gunman details emerge
On Friday the North Dakota Attorney General laid out a clearer timeline of the shooting that involved three officers being shot, one suffering fatal wounds.
The shooter, Mohamed Barakat, 37, was possibly on his way to carry out a much larger attack, according to investigators.
"He had the intent he had the commitment he had the means," said Drew Wrigley, North Dakota Attorney General.
One week after the shooting, Wrigley released more information about the investigation into Barakat.
When he came upon a fender bender last Friday afternoon, Barakat was armed with multiple weapons, explosives and grenades and had spray painted the back windows of his car.
"Based on the time and the direction he was going he was either likely to be taking a right when he got to main avenue going downtown and taking a left when he got to main avenue and going to the fairgrounds," Wrigley said.
Video footage reveals he came upon the crash, circling and casing the scene for about 15 minutes before parking his car and opening fire, killing 23-year-old officer Wallin and critically injuring officers Dotas and officer Hawes, as well as, civilian Karlee Koswick (who was involved in the initial car accident).
Barakat was eventually shot by officer Zach Robinson and later died at the hospital.
If it wasn't for Robinson’s actions, Wrigley says many more people may have died that day.
"What he was standing between was not just the horrible events that were unfolding there, but the horrible events that Mohamed Barakat had planned, had envisioned and intended, and armed himself for beyond fully for," Wrigley said.
A forensic review of his computer revealed Barakat was searching terms like "explosive ammo," "kill fast" and "mass shooting events".
His last search the night before was about the downtown Fargo street fair happening that weekend.
"In the days leading up to there he's looking specifically to the region, he's looking for large crowd events in the region," Wrigley said.
A specific motive for the ambush hasn't been identified, but it's still a critical piece of the investigative puzzle, according to authorities.
The Source: A social media post from the Fargo Police Department and past FOX 9 reporting.