Anchorage SWAT called on to help ATF serve search warrant on east side home

Police called out their SWAT team to help the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives execute a search warrant on an East Anchorage home Wednesday afternoon.

The Anchorage Police Department sent out two alerts about the SWAT presence on the 8800 block of Cross Pointe Loop. The first statement, released at 12:23 p.m., said that officers may deploy chemical agents. But another statement released several minutes later said police were clearing the scene.

Jeremy Herrmann, ATF's resident agent in charge, said at the scene that Anchorage police were assisting the federal agency.

Herrmann said one man was inside, and around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday that man sat in the grass nearby in handcuffs. He wore an ankle monitor.

Herrmann declined to say who the man was or why he was arrested. Officers closed off part of Cross Pointe Loop as they entered and exited the home throughout the afternoon. Members of a SWAT team surrounded the home, some wearing gas masks.

"The house is being cleared for safety — officers' safety — and once the house has been deemed safe we're going to execute a federal search warrant," Herrmann said.

Around 1 p.m., a fire engine also arrived on scene and a crew also appeared to assist with searching the house.

An Anchorage police spokeswoman directed questions to ATF.

Jason Chudy, public information officer with ATF's Seattle Field Division, said in an email that "the warrant execution is not complete, we cannot give any further details."