Crime & Courts

20-year-old charged with third police assault since September after officer stuck by needle

A man convicted in a 2017 high-speed chase to Seward has allegedly assaulted a police officer for the second time in three months.

According to Anchorage police, at around 7:30 p.m. July 3, officers arrived at a residence on Husky Street in Eagle River for a report of a disturbance. While there, an officer patting down Chase W. M. McMichael, 20, was stuck by a hypodermic needle. Police said the officer was not warned ahead of time about the needle, which they said had been used to inject drugs.

McMichael has had several high-profile brushes with law enforcement in the past year. In September 2017, he stole a car from an Eagle River gym and led police on a high-speed chase to Seward, which resulted in his conviction of one count of first-degree vehicle theft and one count of DUI. Charges of third-degree assault on a police officer were dismissed.

In April, McMichael entered a home in Eagle River and allegedly beat a man with a baseball bat. While he was being arrested, McMichael allegedly spit on an officer. He was arrested on an outstanding felony warrant and charged with second-degree assault and first-degree harassment in the case, which is still pending.

According to online records, McMichael was released from jail June 27 and placed on community supervision. He was returned to jail for the July 3 incident and charged with second-degree assault, as well as additional charges brought by Adult Probations and Pre-trial Services.

As of Tuesday, July 10, he remained in jail.

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