Moorhead Police arrest a man armed with a rifle after a shelter in place took effect

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) — Moorhead Police Chief Chris Helmick says police received a shots-fired call at 4:45 am. Nothing was located at the time. But soon, police responded to a call thirty minutes later, where they soon located a rifle on the front steps of a nearby residence.

“They were also able to make phone contact with the individual inside that residence. The person agreed to come outside, and then when he came out, officers attempted to detain him. He ran back inside, grabbed what appeared to be another rifle, and fled the area,” said Chris Helmick, Moorhead Police Chief.

Officers had set up a perimeter near 11th Ave. S. and 3rd St. and notified residents in the area to shelter in place by locking their doors and staying away from windows and exterior doors.

“They started to search using canine teams and a drone unit. So, a short time later, I don’t have an exact time, but a short time later, they were able to locate the individual in the backyard of one of the residences nearby. And were able to take him into custody,” said Helmick.

28-year-old Malachi Shabaiash of Moorhead had sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment of injuries sustained from the K9 apprehension and later booked into the Clay County Jail. He is being held pending charges from the Clay County Attorney’s Office.

Following his arrest, a victim reported Shabaiash fired at them as they drove away in their car earlier in the morning. The car has been towed for processing and evidence collection.

Moorhead Police Department is asking that if residents discover property damage consistent with this incident or have any video that capture shots fired, to contact Red River Regional Dispatch Center and request to speak with a Moorhead Police Department supervisor.