Anchorage police have identified the officer who shot and killed a man brandishing a stick in Mountain View Saturday night.
Officer Boaz Gionson shot Shane Tasi, 26, after Tasi ignored the officer's instructions to drop the stick, according to witnesses.
Gionson's name was held for 72 hours after the shooting, per department policy.
Gionson arrived at the 700 block of North Bunn St. at 9:30 p.m. Saturday after reports to police that Tasi, 25, was wielding a stick and yelling at passing cars and attacking a dog.
Witnesses said Tasi aggressively approached Gionson and refused instructions to drop the stick, which was between 3 and 4 feet long. The officer fired three times, according to witnesses, killing Tasi.
APD spokesman Lt. Dave Parker said there have been three instances of police using deadly force in the last two years, all of which were fatal. Most recently, Jay Allen Johnson, 52, was killed in May 2011 after lunging at officers with a knife at a Midtown gas station.
Officers are required to take three days of administrative leave following a shooting, but can take more depending on the needs of the officer and the department. Parker did not immediately know when Gionson would return to duty.
An investigation, standard in any police shooting, is ongoing.
Contact Suzanna Caldwell at suzanna(at)alaskadispatch.com.