Family holds event to remember Cody Eyre

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - On Dec. 24 of 2017, 20-year-old Cody Eyre was shot and killed by law enforcement.

That night, police had been called to what the Alaska State Troopers reported as a distraught and suicidal, man with a gun walking down a street in Fairbanks. Troopers say Eyre brandished his gun at officers and court documents show troopers and Fairbanks police officers fired multiple times at Eyre, killing him.

“We’re not done grieving,” said Samantha Harrison, Cody’s sister. “It still feels super fresh. It’s been five years, but that grief still feels really fresh, but at the same time, it also feels like we’ve been waiting a long time for closure.”

Cody’s family filed a civil lawsuit in federal court back in 2019, alleging wrongful conduct by no fewer than 18 defendants, including the State of Alaska. Harrison says the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a delay in the ruling.

“We completed the oral arguments and we completed the judgment summary. So both sides were able to, you know, tell the judge their side of the story and so now we’re literally just waiting on the judge,” Harrison said. “We’re waiting on the courts to find out if we are going to move forward to trial. So it’s kind of we’re feeling that, a little bit anxious, but we’re also happy that there might be resolution in the near future.”

Both the Alaska Department of Law and Alaska State Troopers declined to comment about this story at this time.

To honor Cody’s memory, support other families who have lost a loved one to an officer-involved shooting, and raise awareness of the need for mental health support, the family holds an annual event on Christmas Eve. This year, the gathering will be at the Chief David Salmon Tribal Hall in Fairbanks from 6 p.m. 10 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 24.

“We’re going to have a memorial table with pictures of everyone that has been lost to an officer-related shooting,” said Harrison. “There’s going to be multiple families there. And it’s completely free. It’s open to the community and it’s going to be a great time to, you know, celebrate the holidays and come together as a community, so no one has to be alone.”

Harrison says there will be dinner, entertainment and holiday treats available.

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