Crime & Courts

Anchorage police seek public help finding shooting suspect

Update, Monday, July 16: 

Daren Barnhart, wanted as a suspect in a non-fatal shooting, was arrested Friday evening, according to the Anchorage Police Department.

Barnhart was seen around 9 p.m. on July 13 on the 2700 block of Spenard Road. Officers responded to find him riding a bike. When ordered to stop, Barnhart "ignored the commands" and rode away to a field near Carousel Lounge, where he hid in tall grass, police said.

When police warned Barnhart that they had K9s, "Barnhart ignored those warnings, leapt up from where he was hiding, and started to run," police said. A police K9 was released and bit Barnhart in the right forearm. He was treated at the scene for the dog bite, and was then taken to the Anchorage jail on existing warrants. He was also charged with resisting arrest, police said.

Original story:

Police are seeking the public's help in finding a man who shot another man Wednesday during a dispute at a Midtown Anchorage park.

Daren Barnhart, 50, shot the man in the leg at Arctic Benson Park, causing minor non-life-threatening injuries, according to a preliminary investigation by the Anchorage Police Department.

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The dispute involved multiple adults. It stemmed from questions over ownership of a bicycle, police said in an alert Thursday afternoon.

Officers were notified about the shooting at 6:10 p.m. Wednesday. The park is at Arctic Boulevard and West 31st Avenue.

"The group dispersed and fled on foot. This incident does not appear to be drug-related," police reported.

The individuals knew one another, and police called the shooting an "isolated incident."

MJ Thim, an APD spokesman, said officers were initially unsure whether the shooting was self-inflicted, among other questions. But they pieced together what happened and on Thursday morning nailed down the suspect's identity. As soon as police received a warrant for Barnhart's arrest, they alerted the public, he said.

The warrant for Barnhart is for a third-degree charge of weapons misconduct. He also has an outstanding misdemeanor warrant associated with an assault charge.

Police are asking for people with tips about the shooting to call non-emergency dispatch at 3-1-1.

Alex DeMarban

Alex DeMarban is a longtime Alaska journalist who covers business, the oil and gas industries and general assignments. Reach him at 907-257-4317 or alex@adn.com.

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