UPDATE, 9:10 a.m. Tuesday:
Alaska State Troopers say they arrested 60-year-old Bret Herrick of Anchor Point in connection with a Monday shooting of a trooper, following a search that lasted into the night.
Herrick was arrested around 8:40 a.m. Tuesday, according to an online troopers’ statement. They say there will be a heightened law enforcement presence in Anchor Point Tuesday as they continue to investigate Monday’s shooting.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Alaska State Troopers say an officer was shot in downtown Anchor Point around 1 p.m. Monday, and they’re now asking for the public’s help locating a man who they say is wanted in connection to the incident.
Troopers identified the man they’re searching for as 60-year-old Bret Herrick of Anchor Point.
They said Herrick is “armed and dangerous” and that, if spotted, he should not be approached.
Troopers described Herrick as 5’10” and 200 pounds. He’s bald and has brown eyes. He was last seen wearing work boots, dark pants, a knee-length leather trench coat, a black T-shirt and a black do-rag on his head, according to a troopers’ statement.
Troopers said anyone who sees Herrick or has information about him should call 911 immediately. They asked drivers to not pick up any hitchhikers in the Anchor Point area.
Anchor Point is near mile 156 of the Sterling Highway on the Kenai Peninsula, about 15 miles northwest of Homer.
At 6 p.m., the Kenai Peninsula Borough asked residents in the Anchor Point area to “remain sheltered in place and stay out of the response area” as the search continues.
“This incident is expected to go into the night,” said the borough’s online post.
The injured trooper was medevaced to an Anchorage area hospital and was in “fair condition,” according to an update from troopers at 5 p.m.
Troopers spokesman Austin McDaniel said the shooting remains under investigation, and he declined to provide additional information about what happened.
The search for Herrick led to a lockdown at the Chapman Elementary School in Anchor Point on Monday afternoon. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District was also working with families to send home students who go to school in Homer and live in Anchor Point.
The stretch of Sterling Highway through Anchor Point was open as of early Monday evening, but there was limited access to side roads.
According to court records, Herrick has faced several recent charges, including for violating conditions of release and reckless endangerment. In December 2012, he was arrested for allegedly robbing and kidnapping a man in Homer. When troopers later tried to arrest Herrick, in Anchor Point, Herrick allegedly resisted arrest.
He pleaded guilty to resisting arrest but was released from Wildwood Pretrial on a plea deal for his felony charges in May 2013.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Alaska Public Media’s Tegan Hanlon contributed to this report.
