Alaska News

Anchorage standoff suspect arrested by troopers in the Palmer area

Alaska State Troopers arrested a 29-year-old man Friday who had been involved in two separate standoffs with Anchorage police in the past two weeks.

Joe Szajkowski was arrested at a convenience store in Palmer after someone reported he was "acting erratically" and needed a welfare check, Anchorage Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Castro wrote in a Nixle alert.

On Wednesday, APD released Szajkowski from the scene of a three-hour standoff. Szajkowski had barricaded himself in his car. Castro said at the time that officers saw a gun in his car and "did not want to escalate the situation."

Szajkowski was also involved in a 12-hour SWAT standoff on Sept. 22.

One of Szajkowski's family members called police Friday afternoon with concerns for his well-being, according to Castro.

As APD prepared to try to conduct a welfare check at Szajkowski's home, word came in that troopers had taken him into custody in the Palmer area, Castro wrote.

Szajkowski faces a misdemeanor charge of disobeying a police officer's order.

Devin Kelly

Devin Kelly was an ADN staff reporter.

ADVERTISEMENT