On September 1, officers in Sand Point faced a dangerous standoff when a fishing vessel captain resisted arrest during a drug trafficking incident. According to the report at 1:50 p.m., Sand Point Department officers guarded a docked unoccupied fishing boat seized in a State Trooper-led narcotics investigation.
The captain unexpectedly boarded the vessel and attempted to escape, forcing officers to act immediately to stop him before he fled the harbor. As officers entered the bridge area, the captain suddenly pulled out a hatchet, escalating the confrontation into a deadly struggle against armed police officers.
Confronted with an immediate life-threatening attack, one Sand Point officer fired his weapon, striking the suspect before further harm could occur. The wounded captain received emergency aid from officers on scene before being medevaced for additional treatment at another facility.
He survived the shooting; no officers or bystanders sustained injuries during the violent standoff, which ended with police securing the vessel once again. Investigators later searched the fishing boat and seized approximately 600 grams of methamphetamine and 35 grams of heroin hidden onboard. Authorities estimate the seized drugs carried a local street value nearing $970,000, a staggering figure for such a remote Aleutian community.
Following a request from Sand Point Police, the Alaska Bureau of Investigation took charge of the officer-involved shooting case for an independent review. Once the inquiry is finished, the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions will examine the findings to determine whether the officer’s use of deadly force was legally justified.
