Mayor apologizes for delayed press conference on fatal shootings in Fargo, commissioner calls for changes

Mayor Mahoney: "I think the public deserves us to come in front of you and tell you what we're doing."

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Monday night’s Fargo City Commission meeting ended with criticism of how Police Chief Dave Zibolski handled providing information to the public and the media after a weekend of deadly shootings.

“I apologize because when I got up in the morning on Sunday I said we should have a press conference sometime today, um, police chief wanted to wait on that,” said Mayor Tim Mahoney.

Numerous law enforcement agencies responded to a shooting downtown that happened just before 2 a.m. Sunday around bar closing time.

They were called on for mutual aid by Fargo Police who were dealing with a large crowd that was interferring with the crime scene.

A second shooting happened about a half our later in south Fargo.

Fargo Police Department social media accounts first provided information around 10:12 a.m. on Sunday.

They released information on a suspect, 20-year-old Tyrque Jones, around 11 p.m. Sunday.

The first press conference and press access to police happened at 2 p.m. Monday afternoon.

During the city commission meeting three hours later, Commissioner Michelle Turnberg addressed Zibolski directly as he sat in city hall chambers and said, “I felt you, Police Chief Zibolski, came across smug and arrogant and condescending to those reporters asking questions that residents have been asking all weekend.”

Commissioner Dave Piepkorn said, “The taxpayers are paying the law enforcement to provide law and order, we are not doing our job. So we need some changes, immediately, not tomorrow. And to have a press conference the day after, that’s embarrassing. People didn’t know what the hell to do at 1:30 in the morning.”

Mahoney thanked neighboring law enforcement agencies for stepping up and helping during the incidents Sunday morning.

He says the city will come up with a policy to address the timely release of information.

“I think the public deserves us to come in front of you and tell you what we’re doing, what’s happening, what we know or don’t know. We might not know much we might know a little.

But we had a press conference today and it’s become clear to me the press is requesting more quick access to what’s happening.”

If you spot Jones, call 911 or text a tip with the keyword FARGOPD to 847411.