Alaska News

Officer-involved shooting in Anchorage ends with suspect in hospital

A traffic stop on Sunday night in Alaska's largest city turned dangerous for two Anchorage police officers when a passenger in the vehicle, wanted on a felony assault warrant, allegedly pulled a weapon and ended up in the hospital.

According to police, the incident occurred shortly after 7 p.m. on Denali Street in Anchorage's Fairview neighborhood. An officer pulled the vehicle over and made contact with the driver and the two passengers in the vehicle before returning to his patrol car. During a routine computer check, one of the passengers was revealed as having an arrest warrant out on felony assault charges.

The Anchorage Police Department said that the officer called for backup and, after another officer had arrived, both approached the vehicle.

"...As the two officers approached the vehicle to take the suspect into custody, he produced a handgun," a statement from the APD said. "The officers immediately engaged the man, firing their service pistols at him. The suspect was struck at least once and subsequently taken into custody."

Police described the suspect's injuries as not life-threatening, and noted that neither of the officers or the other two occupants of the vehicles were hit during the confrontation. The suspect was taken to an area hospital.

Police were in contact with the other two occupants of the vehicle and requested anyone else who may have witnessed the incident to call 907-786-8900.

Per APD policy, the names of the two officers involved in the shooting will not be released for 72 hours.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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