Crime & Courts

Police: Suspect in vehicle break-ins wielded pepper spray and hatchet before being shot

A suspect in two South Anchorage vehicle break-ins early Thursday pulled a can of pepper spray and then a hatchet on an officer, who hit him with a stun gun and then shot and wounded him, police say.

Ken McCoy, the Anchorage Police Department's acting deputy chief, said during a news conference that the suspect, identified Thursday afternoon as 32-year-old Howard Wayne Watson Jr., was in critical condition. Watson was wanted on an escape charge, police announced earlier this week, after he left the Glenwood Center halfway house in downtown Anchorage for a work shift but didn't return.

The incident began at about 4:30 a.m. with a report of a vehicle break-in on the 1200 block of China Berry Drive. Soon afterward, police received a report of a second break-in nearby on the 10000 block of Thimble Berry Drive.

The second caller gave police a description of the suspect, McCoy said, as six officers and a K-9 unit responded. At about 5 a.m., Watson was spotted "running though yards and running between buildings in the area." The shooting took place less than 10 minutes later on Morningside Loop, just north of the break-in sites.

Police Lt. John McKinnon said the officer who fired was the only one at the scene during the confrontation. A police statement said the suspect "failed to follow the officer's commands."

McCoy said police believed Watson initially produced a can of pepper spray, prompting the officer to fire his stun gun at him.

"We believe the suspect was able to pull the probes free with his hand," McCoy said. "Tasers aren't 100 percent effective; sometimes the probes don't stick, sometimes there's heavy clothing."

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When Watson produced a hatchet, McCoy said, "the officer pulled his handgun, issued additional commands, and multiple shots were fired."

There wasn't any sign that Watson had a firearm, McCoy said.

McCoy said the events leading up to the shooting were consistent with APD protocols governing officers' use of force.

"Officers are trained to use the least amount of force necessary to take control of the situation," McCoy said. "There was an escalation of force before this shooting."

Watson was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, McKinnon said. It wasn't immediately clear how many times he was shot.

The officer who fired was unhurt. No other suspects were being sought in the break-ins.

Police Thursday morning blocked off much of Morningside near the shooting scene between a pair of apartment buildings. Investigators examined a pickup with a flat right rear tire across the street.

Police spokeswoman Renee Oistad said Thursday's officer-involved shooting was APD's first since the Nov. 12 downtown encounter in which accused serial killer James Dale Ritchie shot and wounded officer Arn Salao. Ritchie was killed when Salao and another officer returned fire.

[Dashcams capture moments before serial killer's shootout with Anchorage police]

The officer who fired on Watson will be identified Sunday, after a delay in accordance with department policy, Oistad said.

Chris Klint

Chris Klint is a former ADN reporter who covered breaking news.

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