By Ed Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska and Casey Kelly, KTOO – Juneau
Two Hoonah police officers died after being shot Saturday night. The alleged shooter remained in his house Sunday afternoon, surrounded by law-enforcement officers.
The officers have been identified as 32-year-old Sergeant Anthony Wallace and 39-year-old patrol officer Matt Tokuoka. Both died of wounds inflicted by a single gunman. The suspect is identified as John Marvin Jr., a 45-year-old local resident. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Interim city administrator Bob Prunella called the shooting an “ambush.” He said Juneau Police and Alaska State Troopers were on the scene. A SWAT team was called in and about 10 officers from Juneau came by boat to Hoonah, according to Prunella.
He said the shootings took place between 10:30 and 11 p.m. Saturday.
Hoonah police were not releasing any further information about the shootings. Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters would only say they were dealing with a barricaded suspect.
Hoonah, a city of about 800 residents, is 40 miles west of Juneau on northern Chichagof Island. Before the shootings, it had two active police officers and a third in training, in addition to a police chief.
