A man is dead following a Saturday morning shootout with police officers that involved a South Anchorage residential fire, police officials say.
Around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, police say they responded to a report of shots being fired near the 1200 block of Shore Circle in the Klatt neighborhood. Officials say when officers arrived, a male suspect began shooting at them from inside a home. At a news conference later that morning, Anchorage Police Chief Sean Case said he believes the suspect also fired on a police drone that was monitoring the situation. Police say an officer fired several times toward the suspect about half an hour after they arrived.
Shortly after the officer shot at the suspect, a fire that police believe was started by the man engulfed the home. Case said the man was found dead in the home after firefighters extinguished the blaze. At this point, Case said, the cause of the suspect’s death is unknown.
Case said the incident was captured on police body cameras. The shooting will be investigated by the state’s Office of Special Prosecutions, to determine if the use of deadly force was justified.
The suspect’s name will be released after next of kin are notified, police say. Additionally, the name of the officer who fired on the suspect will be released three days after the incident. That officer has been placed on four days of administrative leave.
This is the first Anchorage police shooting this year, and the first since May. Last year, five people were shot by Anchorage officers, three of whom died.
Police officials say they’ll hold a news conference later this week to provide more details on the shooting.
