Two officers involved in the shooting of an Anchorage man who pulled a semi-automatic handgun on police have been cleared of criminal charges.
The state Office of Special Prosecutions and Appeals found Anchorage Police officers Christopher Alexander and Michael Farr were legally justified in using deadly force against 27-year-old Detlef Wulf. No criminal charges will be forthcoming.
In the declination letter from OSPA, assistant attorney general Robert Henderson outlined the events leading up to Wulf's shooting.
Officers responded to a call at a Carrs-Safeway grocery store in Fairview on the evening of April 5, after receiving reports of a "man slumped over the wheel" of a vehicle in the parking lot. A store employee reported that the vehicle was not running and the doors were locked.
Both Alexander and Farr responded, blocking the vehicle in. When Farr approached the driver's side window, he saw that Wulf was the sole occupant -- sitting in the driver's seat, slightly reclined with his head slumped back. Both Farr and Alexander knocked loudly on the windows trying to rouse Wulf, who was initially unresponsive, but who slowly began to move inside the vehicle as officers continued to knock.
As Wulf began moving, officers noticed a semi-automatic pistol between his legs. Both officers moved away from the vehicle as Wulf reached for the gun and raised it to his chest, pointing it toward the driver's side window.
Both officers drew their service pistols and pointed them at Wulf as they gave him verbal commands to put his hands above his head. Wulf refused to obey and instead attempted to exit the vehicle and pointed the pistol at Farr.
Believing Wulf was going to kill him, Farr fired several rounds and Alexander fired one, together striking Wulf five times. The medical examiner concluded Wulf died from multiple gunshot wounds. The examiner also found that Wulf was under the influence of alcohol, marijuana and methamphetamines.
Henderson said that he was unaware of any charges against being filed against an officer involved in an officer involved shooting in the last three years.
Wulf's death marked the second officer-involved shooting death of 2013. Last month, officers were cleared in the death of Carl Bowie III, who was killed after he attempted to run over officers during a car chase through South Anchorage.
Contact Suzanna Caldwell at suzanna(at)alaskadispatch.com