An Alaska State Trooper shot and wounded a man who was brandishing a knife outside a Wasilla home early Wednesday, the Department of Public Safety said.
Troopers were called to the Stacy Street home around 1:13 a.m. for a report about a fight between two men who are related, said spokesman Austin McDaniel. One of the men was outside the home with the person who had called 911 when the first trooper arrived, the department said in a statement. The trooper detained him in the patrol vehicle, it said.
As the trooper was talking with the detained man, a second man came out of the home armed with a knife, the department said.
“The Trooper gave repeated commands for the male to drop the knife; however, the male continued to approach the Trooper while brandishing the knife,” the department wrote. “The Trooper shot the adult male due to his actions.”
The man sustained serious injuries from the gunshot and was taken to a hospital for treatment, troopers said. No one else was injured, they said.
Multiple troopers arrived at the home just after the man was shot, McDaniel said.
Charges hadn’t been filed by midmorning Wednesday, but troopers said charges are expected to be brought forward as the investigation continues. McDaniel said the uninjured man involved in the initial fight was not in custody as of Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities are investigating what led to the initial fight that prompted troopers’ response, and McDaniel said alcohol was believed to be a contributing factor “based on their investigation.” Both men had been living on Stacy Street in separate homes, McDaniel said.
The Alaska Bureau of Investigation took over the case and the shooting will also be independently reviewed by the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions. The trooper who fired the gun was placed on leave for 72 hours, per department policy. The officer’s name will be released 72 hours after the shooting, troopers said.
The shooting was captured on video by the trooper’s body camera and the patrol vehicle’s in-car video was also activated at that time, McDaniel said. The Department of Public Safety plans to publicly release footage after the investigation concludes and once it has been determined that releasing the footage won’t interfere with decisions about prosecution, he said.