An Alaska State Trooper was trying to arrest 60-year-old Bret Herrick at a business in downtown Anchor Point on Monday afternoon when Herrick opened fire and then fled, according to a statement Tuesday from troopers that describes what they say happened before the overnight search for Herrick.
Herrick had multiple warrants out for his arrest, the statement said. When the trooper tried to arrest him around 1 p.m. Monday, Herrick pulled out a handgun and shot the trooper, said the statement. The trooper also fired his pistol, the statement said.
Herrick was not shot, said Austin McDaniel, troopers spokesman. Bullets hit the trooper in the arm and his bulletproof vest, said McDaniel.
As another trooper pulled up on scene, Herrick ran, according to the troopers’ statement.
Officers searched for Herrick overnight, warning residents of an armed and dangerous man in the area and asking them to stay inside. The Anchor Point school was also closed on Tuesday as the search continued.
Then, at 8:40 a.m. Tuesday, troopers found Herrick in the woods near his Anchor Point home while following up on a tip, said McDaniel, the spokesman.
Troopers said Herrick was arrested without incident on his four outstanding warrants.
He was charged on Tuesday with attempted murder and first-degree assault. He was in custody at the Wildwood Pretrial Facility in Kenai, according to online records.
The trooper who was shot Monday is in fair condition at an Anchorage hospital and their name will be released 72 hours after the incident, according to the troopers’ statement.
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Tegan Hanlon is the digital managing editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at thanlon@alaskapublic.org or 907-550-8447. Read more about Tegan here.
