- Deputies were surveilling Janidi Ibrahim as part of a two-year firearm investigation when the deadly shooting occurred.
- Sergeant Ronk believed a weapon was pointed at him, approached without backup, and fired four shots.
- Body cam images and photos show a gun in the car; DA ruled the shooting justified, but a grand jury will now review the case.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Melissa Wright at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, where Sheriff Hanson released new details about what led up to the deadly deputy-involved shooting — and why the sergeant involved acted without backup.
The sheriff revealed that the Douglas County Special Operations Group had been investigating 19-year-old Janidi Ibrahim since 2023, saying he was a known gang member and suspected of having illegal firearms.
The night of the shooting, Hanson says Ibrahim and several friends posted videos online that appeared to show drugs and guns—prompting the special unit to step up patrols in locations where Ibrahim hung out regularly.
“That in of its of itself — drug use and possession of a firearm is a violation of federal law,” said Hanson.
At Ibrahim’s house, new body cam photos released show what appears to be a tactical light reflecting into Sergeant Ronk’s car as he first drove past Ibrahim.
According to DCSO, Ronk believed a weapon was pointed at him—which led him to turn around and approach the car.
I asked if Sergeant Ronk believed there was a threat, why didn’t he call for backup immediately?
“That he felt that there was an imminent need to take action. Keep in mind, if we have anybody randomly pointing a firearm at somebody driving down the street—whether they think they’re a police officer or not—that is clearly a high-risk situation.”
Sergeant Ronk says a person, now outside the car, again pointed a gun at him.
I asked another question asked: Did Sergeant Ronk turn on his lights when he first got out of the car? Was it obvious he was law enforcement?
“Sergeant Ronk did not turn on his lights when he stopped,” said Hanson. One thing I do know about the activation switches for undercover vehicles is they are not typically as straightforward as you would find in a police cruiser— they are out of sight by design.”
As Sergeant Ronk moves toward the car, Ibrahim and his passengers are back inside. The car was running and in drive when Ronk says Ibrahim made a move that led him to believe the teen was grabbing a gun. That’s when he fired four times. Ibrahim later died at the hospital.
Photos taken by investigators show a gun in the front console.
“I think in this case, there was no label on the gun that said this gun is stolen exactly what was expected is what transpired,” said Hanson. "There was marijuana located in the car, one of the firearms was stolen.”
This new information comes after District Attorney Don Kleine ruled the use of force as justified—but the case will now move forward to a grand jury.
