Anchorage police say officers shot an armed man Friday morning after he held a child as a “human shield.”
The dispute began at a North Anchorage home around 4:40 a.m., said Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle.
“During a domestic dispute, a suspect fired a shot inside a residence,” Kerle said at a news conference Friday afternoon about the shooting. “No one was injured, and as a result of the shooting, the adult male suspect fled the scene with an elementary-age juvenile in a gray Nissan Pathfinder.”
Police have not yet identified the man. Kerle said the man was related to the child, but wouldn’t comment further.
Kerle said an officer spotted the man’s SUV around 6:30 a.m. Friday, near Lake Otis Parkway and Tudor Road. No one was in it. Officers then saw the man trying to cross the street nearby with the child, and confronted him. They determined he had a gun, said Kerle.
“Officers again ordered the suspect to stop, and he continued to ignore their commands, and pointed his handgun at the officers,” he said. “An officer discharged their weapon and the suspect was struck in the midsection and taken into custody.”
During the interaction with officers, Kerle said, the man tried to cover himself with the child.
“It appears the juvenile was used as a human shield,” Kerle said. “The juvenile was uninjured.”
Kerle said the man didn’t have any life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital. Officials said they won’t name him until charges are filed, which they expect to come later Friday or over the weekend.
The state Office of Special Prosecutions is investigating the officer who fired his weapon to determine whether use of force was justified, said Kerle. He said the officer will be placed on four days of administrative leave, per Anchorage police policy, and his name will be released 72 hours after the incident.
Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
