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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) delivered remarks on the Senate floor today to commemorate National Police Week and honor TOP COP award recipient Fargo Police Officer Zachary Robinson. Officer Robinson received this award in recognition of his heroism and bravery last summer when officers with the Fargo Police Department were ambushed while investigating a traffic crash.
Officer Robinson is the first member of North Dakota’s law enforcement community to receive the prestigious recognition. Officer Robinson and his wife were in the Senate Gallery during Senator Cramer’s speech.
“On July 14, 2023, nearly a year ago, Officer Robinson was one of four officers to respond to a routine fender bender. As the officers were wrapping up their handling of the accident, Officer Robinson moved his police vehicle out of the street. A shooter, who was not involved in the initial accident, ambushed the officers, firing on them and bystanders. The shooter hit Zach’s three fellow officers, killing Officer Jake Wallin, and gravely injuring Officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes, both of whom attended the TOP COPS Banquet with their spouses. Zach radioed to ‘send everybody’ as he engaged in a shootout with the assailant.
“Officer Robinson was literally the last man standing, but he did not hesitate as he moved toward – not away from – but toward gunfire, putting himself between the shooter and the innocent, finally fatally wounding the assailant This senseless, premeditated attack targeted police officers who were simply doing what they do, their jobs, protecting and taking care of citizens in need. Evidence collected in the investigation revealed the shooter’s fixation on mass shooting events, and his likely intent to perpetrate an attack at a large event like the Downtown Fargo Street Fair that was going on just a few blocks away or in the next community over, the Red River Valley Fair.
“We will likely never know how many lives he saved that day, that his heroism protected that day, but his actions will never be forgotten by the Fargo community or the state of North Dakota.
“Officer Robinson’s story, his refusal to yield, his swift action in the face of grave danger, captured the essence of why we must ‘back the blue.’ Always supporting our officers, not just in words, but in actions and deeds, ensuring they have all they need to carry out their duties safely and effectively. During National Police Week, we honor Zach and his brothers and sisters in blue across the country who go to work every day to protect our communities, despite the dangers around the corner or across the street.
“This week is also a chance to remember the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. At a time when police officers are all-too-often scoffed or defunded by the very people relying on them for public safety, we need to constantly remember the real-world impacts of their service. Every officer who’s lost is a mother, father, sister, brother, a son or daughter, taken too soon from a loving family that loves them and who will miss them. […] Our officers, and their families, deserve to know we always have their backs.
“The Top Cop Awards Banquet at The Omni Shoreham Hotel on Sunday was not just one of the many special events we all attend in these jobs. It was the honor of a lifetime to be there, to pay tribute to the most extraordinary of the ordinary. […] Congratulations to Officer Robinson for the TOP COP award and Chief Dave Zibolski and the entire Fargo Police Department, and thank you to all law enforcement officers for their everyday heroism. We love you and pray for you, always!”