Juneau police release names of officers involved in downtown shooting

Caution portion blocks disconnected an area of downtown Juneau aft constabulary changeable a man connected July 15, 2024. (Clarise Larson/KTOO)

The Juneau Police Department has released nan names of 4 officers progressive in last week’s deadly shooting downtown. 

A standoff betwixt rule enforcement and Steven Kissack, an unhoused man, connected Front Street connected July 15 ended erstwhile Kissack made a abrupt activity and officers changeable him. Police opportunity he was lunging astatine an serviceman while holding a knife. 

Kissack was later pronounced dormant astatine Bartlett Regional Hospital. 

According to a release, Sergeant Chris Gifford is nan only JPD serviceman who changeable astatine Kissack. Officers Terry Allen, Lee Phelps and Tim Kissner were besides present. 

Gifford is simply a 23-year seasoned pinch JPD. Allen has besides been pinch nan section 23 years, Phelps 15 years and Kissner 2.5 years. The department’s Public Safety Manager Erann Kalwara said each of nan officers are backmost connected work aft being placed connected administrative time off pursuing nan shooting. 

Alaska State Troopers released nan name of Alaska Wildlife Trooper Sergeant Branden Forst past week. He besides fired his limb during nan incident. 

According to JPD, a Juneau serviceman first approached Kissack soon aft 1 p.m. arsenic he was sitting successful a doorway connected Front Street. The serviceman was location to talk astir an battle that allegedly took spot nan time earlier erstwhile Kissack punched personification connected South Franklin Street and past near nan area. Police opportunity Kissack was holding a weapon erstwhile nan serviceman started speaking to him, and refused to driblet nan limb erstwhile ordered to and walked toward nan officer, who past called for backup. 

Memorials popped up downtown nan time aft Steven Kissack was changeable by rule enforcement. July 16, 2024. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey/KTOO).

“The serviceman told Kissack that he was nether apprehension and many times told Kissack to put nan weapon down,” nan merchandise says. “Kissack responded by saying he would dice first and that he would termination nan officer.”

Three much Juneau constabulary officers arrived, arsenic good arsenic nan Alaska Wildlife Trooper. The merchandise says officers continued trying to person Kissack to driblet his weapon, but he continued to frighten them and locomotion toward. After hitting Kissack pinch “less lethal munitions,” he continued stepping toward them. That’s erstwhile constabulary opportunity he lunged and 2 officers opened fire.

Kissack had lived extracurricular successful Juneau for respective years. He was relatively well-known downtown thanks to his canine companion, Juno. He had besides had erstwhile interactions pinch nan police. 

Community members protested Kissack’s death over nan weekend, saying officers should person amended handled nan business to debar shooting him. Multiple bystander videos from the extremely nationalist incident show various angles of what happened, often from a region aliases wrong a building aliases car. Police assemblage camera footage has not been released. 

The shooting is being investigated by nan Alaska Bureau of Investigations to find if lethal unit was necessary. The Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions will past independently reappraisal nan findings.