AST names officer involved in fatal shooting of machete-wielding Palmer man

Following the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old Palmer man Thursday night, Alaska State Troopers have released the name of the officer involved.

Trooper Christopher Havens, employed by AST since February 2012, fired the shot that fatally struck Cameron McCarthy after McCarthy led police on a chase around town and attempted to enter a woman's residence while brandishing a machete-like weapon, according to AST.

Havens was also part of two other fatal officer-involved shootings: One in

and another

In both instances, Havens and another trooper discharged their weapons.

Per department policy, an officer or officers who utilize lethal force are put on mandatory 72-hour administrative leave.

On Nov. 22, Palmer police spotted McCarthy at the Palmer Train Depot around 2 p.m. McCarthy had active arrest warrants, but according to Alaska State Troopers, he fled to a nearby hotel before officers could speak with him. AST spokesperson Megan Peters reported that "McCarthy, still armed, barricaded himself inside an empty room on the second floor."

Negotiators were called, but McCarthy ended up climbing out of a window and on top of the Eagle Hotel's sign. A fire truck was driven underneath the hotel’s sign, with AST utilizing what Peters called “less-lethal force," including a taser and pepper ball and bean bag rounds.

Still, McCarthy was unfazed, jumping from the sign to the fire truck and running away, according to AST. Troopers and Palmer police officers then followed McCarthy to a nearby apartment around 6:30 that night. McCarthy was seen "attempting to break into an occupied unit while still armed with a machete," and an officer fired.

Peters said life-saving measures were attempted, but McCarthy was pronounced dead on the scene. No law enforcement personnel were injured in the incident.