We are part of The Trust Project.
FARGO — A Fargo police officer fatally shot a man after officers were called to a garage at an apartment complex on Friday, July 8.
Policed received a report about 8:07 a.m. regarding individuals slumped over in a vehicle in the garage near the 3400 block of 15th Avenue South and that the windshield had a bullethole in it, according to Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski.
Officers arrived at about 8:13 a.m., and a couple of minutes later there was a report of shots fired and a foot pursuit.
Zibolski said the officers had encountered a van in the garage that had three people inside, at which point the van quickly accelerated and left the garage.
An officer, who is an 11-year veteran of the force, fired toward the van, striking the driver, according to Zibolski.
ADVERTISEMENT
The van then stopped, and two passengers got out and fled. The driver remained in the van, which had been reported stolen two days prior.
One of the passengers was quickly caught and taken into custody. Zibolski identified him as Cody Dunn, 25, with no permanent address, adding that Dunn has been charged with refusal to halt and possession of a controlled substance.
The driver of the van, a 28-year-old man from Jamestown, North Dakota, was taken to the hospital, but died Friday afternoon, Zibolski said.
The chief declined to provide the name of the deceased, saying that information was to be released Saturday afternoon, along with the identity of the Fargo officer who opened fire.
Zibolski added that the officer has been placed on administrative leave while the matter is investigated.
As of Friday evening, police were still looking for the other passenger who fled from the van.
The chief described him as standing about 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-11. He was wearing a light blue shirt and blue jeans. Police are asking anyone with information about the case to call 701-241-1405
Zibolski said he does not know how the officer who opened fire interacted with the van, including whether he believed the vehicle was going to run him over.
He added that no weapons were found in or around the van in question.
ADVERTISEMENT
Zibolski said there is officer body camera video of the shooting, but it was unclear if and when that video would be made public.
Friday's shooting was the first officer-involved shooting since Fargo police officers began wearing body cameras in September 2021, according to Fargo police.
Before Friday, the last officer-involved shooting in Fargo was in October 2018, police said . In that case, officer Cory Luckow was investigating a report of stolen property when he encountered Richard Anthony Torres and a foot chase ensued.
Torres pulled out a handgun during the chase and pointed it at Luckow, prompting the officer to shoot at Torres, according to court records. Torres, who was not shot, was ultimately captured by another officer, court records show.
The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation will oversee the investigation of Friday's shooting.
