A 20-year-old man faces various criminal charges after ramming into a Palmer-based Alaska State Trooper's patrol vehicle twice last week. The initial responding officer was able to jump out of the way of John Allen Wolf's Jeep, avoiding life-threatening injuries.
Wolf eluded troopers after speeding down residential and gravel roads, a sidewalk and an ATV path. His vehicle went airborne more than once during the pursuit, according to the charges.
Troopers initially charged Wolf with two counts of attempted murder, but the Palmer District Attorney's office dropped those charges, as well as two counts of second-degree assault.
"While the attempted murder and assault 2 charges may be supported by the facts, (the state) did not want to overstate the case before it went to grand jury," said Palmer District Attorney Roman Kalytiak in an email.
The charges were dropped without prejudice, said Kalytiak, meaning they could be re-filed.
Trooper Neil Blakeslee wrote the majority of the complaint against Wolf. He tried to pull the defendant over on Oct. 23 around 1 a.m., according to the affidavit.
Blakeslee reported he was on patrol when he spotted a black Jeep Grand Cherokee leaving the unlit parking lot of Knik Elementary School in Wasilla. The Jeep did not stop before entering the roadway, and the driver allegedly broke several traffic laws before the trooper illuminated his emergency lights on Clairborne Drive.
"The vehicle came to a stop in the middle of the roadway," the charges say. "As I was walking toward the vehicle, the driver stuck his head out the window and yelled several unintelligible statements."
Wolf willingly provided his name and date of birth, according to the charges, but after trooper Blakeslee discovered that Wolf was driving with a revoked license, Wolf "moaned and began rapidly looking left and right."
The trooper commanded him to get out of the car. Wolf shifted his vehicle into gear, according to the charges. Blakeslee had reached inside Wolf's vehicle to try and unlock the door; as Wolf sped away, the frame struck the trooper's arm.
"I had to jump out of the way of the speeding vehicle to avoid being run over," Blakeslee wrote.
The trooper followed the Jeep to nearby Clarion Avenue, where the driver pulled into a yard and turned off his lights, according to the charges. Blakeslee pulled in behind Wolf and started getting out of his cruiser when the Jeep accelerated, slamming into the trooper's front bumper.
"The impact caused further damage to my patrol vehicle and caused the driver door to slam into my left hip and left temple, causing me pain," Blakeslee wrote. "I had to lunge back into my vehicle to avoid more severe injury."
Blakeslee continued to pursue Wolf down several roads. At one point, Wolf veered onto a bike path off Knik Goose Bay Road. The trooper pursued Wolf on the path, reaching speeds of 65 miles per hour, according to the charges.
Blakeslee eventually broke off from the chase, as both his headlights had been damaged, and allowed another trooper to take the lead. That trooper lost sight of Wolf's Jeep on an ATV path, according to the charges.
Based on the trooper Blakeslee's account, Wolf was initially charged with multiple crimes, including the dropped attempted murder charges due, in part, to his "reckless disregard for human life."
An arrest warrant was originally issued on Oct. 23 for $50,000. When the charges were reduced, troopers issued a $7,500 warrant, according to court records.
Wolf was arrested at approximately 4 p.m. on Tuesday, according to trooper spokesperson Megan Peters.
"Wolf was apprehended by our investigator that is a part of the US Marshal's Fugitive Task Force," Peters said in an email. "He was outside of the Target at Tikahtnu Commons in Anchorage. Wolf was inside a stolen vehicle at the time of the contact. He was cooperative with the arresting trooper and was taken into custody without incident."
She said trooper Blakeslee has been cleared for regular duty and is working his normal schedule.
During a Wednesday arraignment at the Anchorage Correctional Complex, Wolf's bail was temporarily set at $7,500. The case will continue in Palmer on Nov. 7 with a preliminary hearing.
Update: This story has been updated to add comment from Alaska State Troopers.