Trooper fatally shoots armed Selawik man during burglary investigation, officials say

Update, 1:45 p.m. Sunday: Trooper Joshua Rallo was identified as the officer who shot Douglas Brown Jr., according to an updated statement. Rallo has been with the troopers for 16 years, the statement said.

Original story:

A trooper shot and killed an armed 26-year-old Selawik man Thursday morning during a burglary investigation, Alaska State Troopers said.

Around 5:20 a.m., a trooper in the Northwest Alaska village was looking for two men after receiving a report of a burglary involving a firearm, according to an online alert.

Upon contacting the two suspects about 20 minutes later, troopers said, one was armed with a shotgun. The officer “perceived a threat” and fired a service pistol.

The shot killed Douglas Brown Jr. of Selawik, whose remains will be sent to the state’s medical examiner office in Anchorage.

The trooper was placed on paid administrative leave for three days.

Trooper spokesman Austin McDaniel declined to provide additional information regarding the nature of the “perceived threat,” citing the ongoing investigation.

“Investigators from the Alaska Bureau of Investigation have responded to Selawik to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident,” troopers wrote. “Once their investigation is completed, it will be forwarded to the Alaska Department of Law’s Office of Special Prosecutions for review.”

Brown Jr. had an active warrant of $10,000 for burglary with a firearm and theft, as well as an assault warrant and a no-bail warrant for a probation violation, troopers said.

Selawik is about 70 miles southeast of Kotzebue.