Anchorage police on Wednesday identified the man shot and killed by an officer on a busy stretch of Tudor Road on Tuesday afternoon as 33-year-old Francis Rochon.
The Nome Police Department notified Rochon’s family, police said in an online update. Rochon was from Nome but living in Anchorage, according to police spokesman Chris Barraza.
Police said they received numerous reports from witnesses just before 1:20 p.m. describing a man later identified as Rochon waving a 9 mm black pistol near Piper Street. The witnesses said the man was pointing the pistol at drivers as well as a school bus with no students that he tried to stop, police said.
As officers arrived, Rochon kept walking west toward Folker Street, they said. Officers ordered him to drop his weapon and raise his hands, the update said, but Rochon reached into his waistband and grabbed the firearm.
“Video footage shows muzzle smoke appearing as the weapon was raised,” it said. “At that point, an officer discharged their firearm, striking the suspect, who then fell to the ground.”
Asked if Rochon fired his weapon, Barraza said Wednesday afternoon that he could not immediately answer that question.
Officers attempted life-saving measures until medics arrived, police said.
The shooting was the 11th involving Anchorage police since May and the sixth fatal incident in that time period.