A federal grand jury has indicted two Alaska State Troopers shown on body-camera video beating, tasing and pepper-spraying a Kenai man in a case of mistaken identity.
Former troopers Sgt. Joseph Miller and Jason Woodruff are each charged with violating the man's civil rights. Neither were arrested following the federal indictment.
In a news release, the U.S. Attorney's office says 50-year-old Miller had no legal justification for the violent arrest, which was captured on body cameras. Prosecutors say 43-year-old Woodruff illegally used his police dog to bite the man when he did not pose a threat. The state brought charges against Miller and Woodruff last summer after a routine use-of-force review.
State prosecutors say the body camera footage shows Woodruff and Miller tasing, pepper-spraying, beating and having their police dog maul Kenai man Ben Tikka during an arrest at Kenai's Daubenspeck Park. The state charging document says troopers did not ask for Tikka's name during the arrest and did not learn until later that the man they'd arrested was Ben and not his cousin Garrett.
Garrett had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear for a 10-day jail sentence for driving with a revoked license.
The lawyer representing Ben Tikka in the state case says he underwent more than $40,000 worth of medical procedures as a result of the arrest, which left him with a concussion and a broken clavicle.
Miller is no longer employed by the State of Alaska. Jason Woodruff remains employed by the department but has been on leave since the botched arrest. The union contract that covers public safety employees says employees charged with a crime over professional conduct will be put on unpaid leave. The police dog involved in the arrest was also released from the department.
If convicted in the federal case, Miller and Woodruff each face up to 10 years in prison.
James Cockrell is the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Public Safety. He was quick to condemn Miller and Woodruff's conduct after reviewing the body camera footage last year. In a statement to KDLL, Cockrell called the alleged civil rights violations deeply concerning and contrary to the department's values.
"While this is an unfortunate day for the Alaska State Troopers, the alleged actions of these two individuals do not reflect the professionalism of the hundreds of state troopers and DPS employees who serve Alaskans with integrity every day, often in the most challenging conditions in the United States," he said.
Cockrell said the department continues to cooperate with state and federal prosecutors. A spokesperson for the Alaska U.S. Attorney's office said she was not aware of any prior instances in which an Alaska State Trooper faced federal charges as a result of their conduct on duty.
Woodruff's attorney declined to discuss the case. Miller's did not respond to a request for comment.
Tuesday's announcement comes as Woodruff and Miller await trial in their respective state criminal cases. They are each facing first-degree assault charges. In September, a judge declined a request from Miller to dismiss the state's case against him. Miller and Woodruff are scheduled to go to trial next year.
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