A man from the village of Eek in the lower Kuskokwim Delta has been arrested and charged with the murder of a woman after a standoff with Alaska State Troopers on Tuesday.
Troopers say 41-year-old Nick Beebe is charged with murder, assault, and weapons misconduct in the death of 38-year-old Lorna White. As of midday Wednesday, charging documents were not available for Beebe. He remained in custody at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Correctional Center in Bethel on Wednesday.
According to an online trooper dispatch, troopers responded to Eek after Beebe allegedly threatened a village public safety officer with a shotgun when the officer tried to respond to a report of domestic violence.
Troopers say Beebe barricaded himself in White’s residence with a gun, after telling witnesses he had assaulted her and she was inside. But he reportedly refused to speak with negotiators or discuss White’s condition.
During the standoff, an unnamed trooper shot at Beebe from outside the residence, but troopers say the shot did not strike Beebe. The trooper has been placed on a three-day administrative leave, which is typical in officer-involved shootings.
The troopers then called in their Southcentral SWAT team, although it is unclear how much time passed between before the team arrived. Troopers say the SWAT team entered the residence to arrest Beebe.
When they entered the house, the dispatch says troopers found White dead from “suspected blunt-force trauma.” Her body has been sent to the state medical examiner, and her next of kin have been notified.
