Man shot and killed after raising a gun at four Anchorage officers, police chief says

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Anchorage police officers responding to a disturbance call shot and killed a man early Monday after he pointed a gun at them, police chief Bianca Cross said.

“Four officers discharged their weapons, striking the adult male once in the upper body, at least once in the upper body,” Cross said at a news conference.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, an apartment complex in west Anchorage. No officers were injured.

Police were responding to a call about a disturbance between a man and a woman at the complex, Cross said. Before officers arrived, they were informed the man had left the apartment and was outside with a long gun.

Officers approached the complex on foot, and officers fired after the man raised the gun toward them, Cross said.

The shooting was captured on the officers’ body cameras, which will be released following the investigation, she said.

Cross didn’t provide other details of the incident, citing the ongoing investigation.

The state’s Office of Special Prosecutions will determine if the officers’ use of deadly force was justified. Following that investigation, the police department’s internal affairs unit will investigate to determine if there were any policy violations in the shooting.

The four officers involved were placed on four days of paid administrative leave. Their names will be released three days after the shooting.

The name of the man who was killed will be released after next-of-kin are notified, Cross said.