Republished August 24, 2021 - 6:03 PM
Original Publication Date August 24, 2021 - 12:56 PM
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A man shot an Alaska state trooper who tried to arrest him on outstanding warrants in the Kenai Peninsula community of Anchor Point, authorities said Tuesday.
The Alaska State Troopers, in a statement, said the man was taken into custody Tuesday. Search efforts following the Monday afternoon shooting had prompted travel restrictions at various points in the area and the closure of an Anchor Point school Tuesday.
The injured trooper was struck “multiple times” and listed in fair condition Tuesday at an Anchorage-area hospital, the statement said. He fired his weapon during the incident, troopers said, adding that the Alaska Bureau of Investigation was reviewing the case and would forward its investigation to the state Office of Special Prosecutions for review.
According to the statement, the trooper saw the man at an Anchor Point business and “contacted” him to try to arrest him on the warrants. The man “produced a handgun and fired on the Trooper, striking him multiple times,” the statement said.
"The Trooper also discharged his service pistol during the incident,” it said.
The man fled as another trooper arrived, authorities said. He was found by troopers near his home Tuesday morning and was arrested without incident on the outstanding warrants.
Troopers said the man was being held in a Homer jail on attempted murder and assault charges related to the incident Monday. An online court records system shows an arraignment was set for Wednesday. The online system did not yet show an attorney for the man.
Anchor Point, known for its scenery and sports fishing, is about 14 miles (23 kilometers) northwest of Homer and has a population of about 2,100.
News from © The Associated Press, 2021