Anchorage Mayor LaFrance announces changes to police department after officer kills teenager

Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance gives closing remarks astatine her swearing-in ceremonial astatine Town Square Park successful Anchorage connected Monday, July 1, 2024. (Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)

Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance connected Thursday announced a slate of changes coming to nan constabulary section aft an serviceman changeable and killed a teenage woman this week. 

“We cannot return backmost nan symptom associated pinch this loss, but we tin do everything successful our powerfulness to make judge this doesn’t hap again successful Anchorage,” LaFrance said successful a statement.

On Tuesday night, Anchorage constabulary killed 16-year-old Easter Leafa erstwhile responding to a telephone astatine her East Anchorage home. Police opportunity they were told by Leafa’s sister that she had a weapon and had threatened others. 

Leafa is nan sixth personification changeable by Anchorage constabulary since mid-May, and nan 4th to beryllium killed by an officer. 

“We mislaid a young personification successful our organization who should person been starting her first time of schoolhouse today,” LaFrance said. 

LaFrance said Leafa’s shooting will beryllium investigated by a 3rd party, arsenic opposed to APD’s Internal Affairs, who usually analyse constabulary shootings. She said nan authorities Office of Special Prosecutions will besides show nan investigation and find if criminal charges are warranted. 

Additionally, LaFrance said a 3rd statement will analyse APD’s policies and procedures pinch nan extremity of reducing constabulary shootings. She said nan municipal attorney’s agency will negociate those investigations and, “the extracurricular entity will not limit its study to what is legally permissible.”

In nan aforesaid statement, APD Police Chief Sean Case announced a bid of soul changes astatine nan department. One is that a lieutenant will reappraisal nan past 15 years of constabulary shooting information to pass a nationalist report. Case besides said a recently promoted skipper will analyse really nan constabulary academy trains officers, pinch a attraction connected “de-escalation techniques and captious reasoning tactics.” 

“As constabulary officers, we strive to protect quality life,” Case said successful nan statement. “When we don’t meet that goal, it is simply a tragedy. We are committed to demonstrating that our section is present to protect and service nan group of Anchorage.” 

Case besides announced that nan section will create a organization advisory committee to formally counsel nan department. The move follows calls from organization members for an independent national reappraisal committee for nan police. 

Since mid-May 3 different group person been changeable and killed by police: 34-year-old Kristopher Handy, 21-year-old Tyler May and 58-year-old Lisa Fordyce-Blair. State prosecutors person reviewed nan fatal shootings of Handy and May truthful far, and declined to record criminal charges against nan officers, saying usage of unit was justified.

This is simply a processing story. Check backmost for updates.