Crime & Courts

APD: Man sought after eluding police and stealing pickup at gunpoint

A man suspected of using drugs inside a vehicle in downtown Anchorage and nearly hitting police officers while fleeing before stealing a pickup at gunpoint is being sought by Anchorage police.

The incident began late Monday, just before midnight, when police received a report of a man possibly using drugs inside a white SUV near Third Avenue and Lane Street. When officers approached the vehicle, the driver backed up and "almost struck the officers," police wrote in a release.

Additional patrol officers were unable to immediately locate the vehicle, which was later discovered to have a stolen license plate, police said.

According to police, about 20 minutes later another person called 911 to report a black Chevy pickup had been stolen on Klevin Street by a man matching the description of the man in the SUV who eluded police downtown.

The stolen truck was discovered at Ninth Avenue and Hoyt Street. The SUV was discovered off Fourth Avenue.

The suspect from both incidents is described as a Samoan male with a shaved head and wearing a leather jacket.

Anyone with information about the suspect or his whereabouts is being asked to call Anchorage Crime Stoppers at 907-561-STOP.

Megan Edge

Megan Edge is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News.

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