An Alaska State Trooper was arrested Monday on multiple domestic violence assault charges, troopers said.
Garrett Willis, 40, is an investigator based in Anchorage. He lives in Wasilla.
Troopers said they became aware on Nov. 2 of domestic violence allegations against Willis in the Wasilla area. As Wasilla police investigated, they found additional instances of domestic violence involving two other adult victims from 2018, 2019 and 2020 in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and Kenai, troopers said at a Monday news conference.
Troopers and Kenai police joined the investigation, and the Alaska Department of Law’s Office of Special Prosecutions reviewed the case, according to a statement from troopers.
Troopers arrested Willis on two counts of second-degree domestic violence assault and three counts of third-degree and fourth-degree domestic violence assault.
The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filed, troopers said. They say none of the alleged offenses happened while Willis was on duty.
Willis has been on leave since Nov. 10. It’s unclear if it’s paid or unpaid, a trooper spokesman said he couldn’t release additional information “due to personnel privacy statutes.”
Willis worked as a trooper in Alaska since 2003. He most recently worked on an Alaska-based federal task force in Anchorage. He was in custody late Monday afternoon at Mat-Su Pretrial.
Troopers are asking anyone who may have additional information about the investigation or anyone who believes they or someone they know may have been a victim of Willis to call the agency at 907-352-5401.
In a statement, Col. Bryan Barlow, director of the Alaska State Troopers, said the agency will “aggressively investigate any alleged criminal behavior” by troopers and hold them accountable.
“Today is an unfortunate day for the Alaska State Troopers,” he said. “Still, I hope that Alaskans will continue to place their trust in the hundreds of exemplary Troopers that tirelessly work each day to ensure public safety.”
Last month, the agency announced the arrest of a Soldotna-based trooper Benjamin Strachan on sexual abuse of a minor charges.
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.
