ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A man appearing to be the suspect in a standoff that included the shooting of a police officer was led out of a downtown Anchorage apartment complex without incident Friday afternoon.
The officer, who is expected to survive, was shot early Friday morning while responding to the complex on East 10th Avenue for a report of someone assaulted with a hammer, police said. The suspect, who hadn’t been officially identified, was barricaded inside and not communicating with them, police said.
The response occupied a six-block section of Ingra Street. The more than 10-hour standoff spooked residents and people at nearby businesses who reported hearing gunshots and helping clients hurry inside.
Through much of the morning, police communicated via a loudspeaker and used a drone that hovered near the complex. Periodically, loud popping sounds were heard as well as what sounded like gunfire.
Around 9 a.m., an officer could be seen training a gun in the direction of the building. White smoke appeared from the roof. Several officers stood behind a BearCat military-style vehicle, some in military gear and helmets. Two officers wore police uniforms and gas masks.
At 11 a.m, what sounded like an exchange of gunfire was heard and a man was seen running back and forth on the top floor. Then three shots appeared to hit the building.
Officers shouted at the suspect to come out with his hands up: “If you comply, you will not be hurt. If you do not comply, you may be hurt. We are not going away.”
Michelle Spivey got to work around 11 a.m. at a business just northwest of the apartment building. She’d just heard from a coworker at the breathalyzer installation company, HiTech Interlock, that shots had been fired.
Not long after that, Spivey had to hustle arriving clients into her offices, including a man holding hands with his young daughter.
“My main concern is my clients‚” she said. “I’m glad the police are there but I don’t think they closed off enough, when someone could point a gun out the window and any of my clients could be shot or get hit by a stray bullet. It’s crazy when you can’t even go to work without worrying about an active shooter around.”
A representative of The Church of the Nations of the across the street from the complex said a neighbor notified her of what was happening around 5 a.m. Then police called to make sure no one was inside and blocked the streets.
Officers first interacted with the man early Friday morning after receiving a report he assaulted someone with a hammer, according to a police update.
While officers talked with the victim, the suspect left the apartment, police said. Officers “verbally engaged” with him but he was described as not being compliant and went back inside.
After obtaining a search warrant, officers gave the now barricaded suspect “multiple less lethal warnings,” police said. It wasn’t immediately clear what those warnings were.
“When the suspect did not respond, officers breached the apartment door. The suspect fired multiple rounds at police,” the update said. “One officer was struck in the lower body and another officer returned fire.”
The injured officer was transported to the hospital. The original assault victim suffered injuries not considered life threatening and has been transported for police interview.
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(Anchorage Daily News photographer Loren Holmes contributed to this story.)
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