A hotel security guard is in critical condition with multiple face fractures after a 24-year-old man allegedly assaulted him in the lobby of a University Lake hotel Thursday night, authorities said.
The security guard, 55-year-old Jeffrey Palm, is currently hospitalized at Providence Alaska Medical Center. A second employee suffered a broken arm in the assault, police said.
The suspected assailant, Hunter Hedrick, faces multiple assault charges in connection with the incident, Anchorage police spokeswoman Anita Shell said in an email. Hedrick is being held in the Anchorage jail without bail.
The incident began at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, when a woman called police to report that Hedrick, her boyfriend, had assaulted her and left her home on San Roberto Avenue on foot, Shell said.
Police interviewed the victim, and obtained a felony assault warrant for Hedrick, Shell said.
Shortly after midnight, Hedrick entered the SpringHill Suites Hotel at 4050 University Lake Drive and tried to check into a room, Shell said. At some point, he became irate with the hotel clerk and began to shout obscenities, Shell said.
A security officer, Palm, walked up to Hedrick and asked him to calm down, Shell said.
"Hedrick responded by punching Palm in the face, knocking him to the ground," Shell said. "Hedrick then continued to punch Palm repeatedly until a second employee intervened."
The second employee, William Grafton, 42, suffered a broken arm, Shell said.
She said police tracked down Hedrick a short time later and arrested him on multiple assault charges.
Reach Devin Kelly at dkelly@adn.com or 257-4314.
By DEVIN KELLY