Crime & Courts

Juneau man held for DUI in crashes at Governor's Mansion and Capitol

A man who struck the Governor's Mansion with a vehicle he later crashed near the Alaska Capitol was arrested Thursday on drunken-driving charges, Juneau police said.

Alexander Oliphant, 49, was charged with DUI and refusing to submit to a breath test, according to a Friday statement from Juneau police Lt. Kris Sell.

Police were alerted to the incident just before 11 p.m. Thursday when a woman called to report a vehicle stuck in temporary construction fencing at the Capitol. When police arrived, they found Oliphant at the scene.

"A dog that was in the vehicle was not injured in the collision and was turned over to animal control," Sell wrote.

When police spoke with Oliphant, he allegedly said it wasn't his first crash of the night.

"Oliphant volunteered that he had also struck the Governor's Mansion," Sell wrote. "JPD contacted a security officer for the governor. It was determined that the garage door to the Governor's Mansion was caved in."

A review of surveillance footage from the mansion determined the garage door had been struck, but the person seen in the video "did not enter the garage or any other part of the residence."

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Gov. Bill Walker's press secretary, Katie Marquette, declined to say whether Walker or his family were at the mansion Thursday evening.

"Because this has to do with the governor's security, we're not going to comment on it," Marquette said.

Marquette did say that Walker's duties Friday were unaffected by the incident.

"He's at the office today and just fine," Marquette said.

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