At approximately 0200 hours (2:00am), the sophisticated and organized ambush of the Civilian Military Operations Center (CMOC) a former municipal building which was protected by a sand bag wall and rings of concertina wire, and the Iraqi/U.S. Army Police Station several buildings north began. The attackers started with a fusillade of accurate small arms fire from concealed positions located on surrounding roof tops and a nearby berm. The attackers were probing the buildings defenses. The soldiers in the CMOC couldn’t identify any of the attackers positions because the street lights were on and they were unable to utilize their night vision goggles. The small arms fire stopped suddenly leaving only the sounds of howling dogs.

        The 401st MP Team ran from the Iraqi/MP Police Station to their vehicles in the street where they immediately started taking small arms fire. PVT Jesse M. Halling was the gunner in a three-man team of MP’s in the turret of a Humvee, while the driver, PFC Ronald Glass, and the team leader, SGT Angel Cedeño, sat below. PFC Glass said that PVT Halling was hammering away at the roof tops with his .50 caliber machine gun.

        The building was then hit by six to ten Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG), aimed at the third floor where the stations defenders slept and took their breaks during the night hours. The RPG’s hit their targets within four feet of each other leaving impact craters and shrapnel in the building facade. One barely missed a window. Another projectile penetrated a metal door, flew across the room and exited through the back wall. After the RPG attack the defenders opened fire on the enemy positions.

       During the intense fire fight PVT Halling, without regard for his own personal safety, remained exposed in the gunners turret laying down suppression fire with the .50 caliber machine gun and squeezing off rounds from his M16 while reloading the machine gun. He was also identifying targets for PFC Glass and SGT Cederio. PVT Halling was struck by enemy fire in the jaw and mortally wounded. He received emergency treatment by medics at the scene before being helicoptered out to a hospital. He died in route. SGT Cedeño told the other soldiers later that Halling, by remaining at his post, had saved his life. He never came down from the turret, seeking shelter in the relative protection of the Humvee, as many soldiers might have done. "He never gave up," SSG James Ferguson, his squad leader said.

        The CMOC does its community outreach from the building, taking complaints about stolen vehicles, looting, or the fate of men missing or arrested, and answering questions from pensioners or former state employees about when they might get paid again. It is believed that some of the Iraqis who came seeking help during the day were attackers or provided them with information on the buildings internal layout and defenses.