Family of man fatally shot by Anchorage police lobbies to view body camera footage

Kristopher Handy. (Courtesy of Handy family)

Monte Handy has been asking Anchorage constabulary to publically release nan footage of his son’s sidesplitting since it happened successful May.

Kristopher Handy, 34, was nan first personification killed successful a confrontation pinch officers since nan section was outfitted pinch assemblage cameras. What has followed has been a contentious statement complete erstwhile footage of constabulary shootings will go disposable to nan public.

Right now, nan Anchorage constabulary main makes nan call. And chief-designee Bianca Cross says she won’t merchandise immoderate assemblage camera footage of constabulary shootings until aft an investigation from nan authorities Office of Special Prosecutions and nan department’s soul affairs unit. There’s nary timeline connected nan completion of those investigations.

Monte Handy said he’s frustrated, and he’s lobbying nan Assembly for thief accessing nan footage.

“Chief Cross has many times denied this petition from our family,” he told Assembly members astatine their Tuesday nighttime meeting. “We’ve requested that Mayor Bronson instruct Chief Cross to merchandise nan footage, and we person heard nary consequence from his agency connected this matter.”

The family reached retired to Midtown Assembly personnel Felix Rivera to bring guardant a solution requesting that nan constabulary section merchandise nan footage to them. Handy said, astatine nan very least, nan family wants to spot what happened for themselves. 

“We are requesting this solution truthful we tin person a afloat knowing of what happened to our boy Kris connected May 13, and beryllium capable to person closure arsenic a family,” he said. 

Shortly aft Handy’s grounds astatine Tuesday’s Assembly meeting, Rivera asked Cross, who was successful nan audience, if she’d beryllium unfastened to nan thought of letting nan family privately position nan footage pinch her. 

“I’m not needfully talking astir you releasing nan footage to nan family,” Rivera said. “But you inviting nan family to travel successful and you show them nan footage.”

Cross’s position connected a backstage viewing mirrored her position connected releasing nan footage. 

“So, I’m unfastened to having nan family position nan footage aft (the Office of Special Prosecutions) has made their determination,” Cross said. “This is simply a criminal investigation, truthful if OSP decides that charges are warranted, we’ll person to reevaluate astatine that time.”

Rivera said he’s disappointment pinch Cross’s response, and is putting together a solution that will formally telephone connected nan main to let nan Handy family to privately position nan footage. 

Initially, constabulary said that Kristopher Handy had pointed a agelong weapon astatine officers earlier they fatally changeable him, but backstage information footage has called that communicative into question. Rivera said that has been a root of trauma for nan Handy family.

“The constabulary chief-designee, aft that, said, ‘Well, we’re having to look into this further. There’s video that puts our original communicative into question,’” Rivera said. “And for me, that was us, arsenic nan Municipality, actively doing harm to this family.”

Rivera said his solution would besides inquire for a reasonable timeline for nan merchandise of nan assemblage camera footage to nan public, and supply guidance to incoming Mayor Suzanne LaFrance and her management connected really to grip nan merchandise of footage. The solution wouldn’t beryllium binding, but Rivera hopes it will show that nan Assembly supports nan Handy family. 

“I’m hoping it will nonstop a connection to nan constabulary department, and peculiarly nan constabulary chief, that we want thing done,” Rivera said.

Last year, Rivera put guardant an ordinance that would’ve officially codified assemblage camera policies successful metropolis law, including mounting up a timeline for nan automatic merchandise of nan footage erstwhile officers sprout someone. However, it was scrapped complete fears that it would further hold outfitting officers pinch cameras. Anchorage voters approved nan acquisition and usage of nan assemblage cameras successful 2021, but it wasn’t until this year that a mostly of officers had them.

Now, Rivera said he’s prepared to present a akin connection if nan constabulary section doesn’t alteration its position connected nan merchandise of assemblage camera footage. 

“I deliberation nan argumentation arsenic it is written is conscionable deficient and it does not do what nan voters demanded,” Rivera said. 

In nan weeks since Handy was killed by officers, Anchorage constabulary have shot 2 different equipped men, one of whom died. 

At Tuesday night’s Assembly meeting, members voted to postpone Cross’s confirmation proceeding to July 2, nan time aft LaFrance is sworn successful arsenic mayor.