Fargo Police Chief Zibolski on assault on officers: this is a well equipped, well trained, outstanding police department
FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — KVRR caught up with Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski who says the video posted online of three officers being hit by a suspect in downtown Fargo over the weekend doesn’t give the full context of what happened.
We wanted to hear what he thinks about the incident and the public reaction.
“Once people start forming conclusions, they don’t even have all the facts. The more it’s repeated, the more people actually believe it’s correct. This is an issue of perception and cognition, and you know, we need to change that with information, which is why we are putting this information out today.
You know, we’d like to talk more about it. It’s an active criminal investigation, and you know, when the prosecutor is in a position to be ready to release that video. We’d certainly release that video so that everyone can see all of those different components. But you don’t see that on the 42nd clip. That was from a phone.
So I think that’s the important piece, despite what some people might think or say, this is a well equipped, well trained, outstanding police department full of very committed, excellent officers and detectives in the whole nine yards, but we’re a young department, just like a lot of places, and that’s the environment that policing is in across the country. Our folks are out there every day serving the community to the best of their abilities.
And I would ask people to assume good will before jumping to conclusions. we’re happy to address issues as they come up and we’ve done that as well and if something is amiss or awry. There’s no, there’s no doubt that we will address that appropriately and take action there but that’s not the case in this instance.”
The suspect, Joseph Manitowabi, faces three charges of assault on a police officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, preventing arrest, and refusal to halt.
He is being held at Cass County Jail with bail set at $25,000.
