Officers shoot man hours after he stole truck, police say

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A man was hospitalized with gunshot wounds after an officer-involved shooting in midtown Anchorage Sunday that began with a confrontation hours earlier.

On Monday morning, Anchorage Police Chief Sean Case said the shooting stemmed from an incident that began around noon Sunday, when an elderly man had his new truck stolen at gunpoint at the intersection of East 22nd Avenue and Glacier Street.

While the man was parked at the intersection, a Subaru approached him. A man pulled out a handgun and ordered the keys to the car, Case said.

The older man did not immediately give up the keys. As a result, the suspect fired a single round and struck the man with his gun.

When the man regained consciousness, he saw the suspect taking items from his pockets, getting into the truck and driving away, with the Subaru following, Case reports.

Anchorage police eventually found the Subaru and the residence the suspect was staying near East 37th Avenue and Scott Street, just off Lake Otis Parkway.

Around 8 p.m., about six hours after the police arrived on scene, a man believed to be the suspect briefly exited the residence and eventually walked back in. He then walked out again and was told by an officer to put his hands up.

Case said the suspect took out a handgun and pointed it at the officers, leading to four officers firing multiple rounds, which hit him. The suspect was taken from the scene to the hospital.

The SWAT Team was on the scene until around 5:30 a.m. Monday, Case said. The number of people inside the house was in the double digits. The Crime Scene Team was still on scene processing it as of 10 a.m.

“I want to thank the officers for their commitment to the community,” he said. “They’re out there doing the right things, not only for the community, but for the victims of crimes like this.”

Case acknowledged a high number of officer-involved shootings this year, but also noted they all involved the threat of gun violence against the officers.

“When someone points a gun at an officer, it significantly limits the number of responses available to the officer,” he said. ”This case was one of those situations."

Both the victim and suspect sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Another press conference is scheduled for next Monday, where more details on the suspect’s charges will be given then, Case said.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com