Alaska: Alaska man's quick shot kills charging bear

Juneau, Alaska

From the Juneau Empire of August 16, 2009

Alaska man's quick shot kills charging bear

A Soldotna fishing guide's "total luck shot" saved him from a 900-pound, charging bear.

The Anchorage Daily News reported that Greg Brush, a fishing guide, was walking with his three dogs near his home on Aug. 2 when a brown bear charged him without warning from behind.

A snap of a twig prompted Brush to glance over his shoulder. Then, he saw the bear running at him.

Brush said he was able to shoot his gun once or twice as he back pedaled. One shot was enough to kill the bear. He said it was luck shot.

Brush said the bear looked starved and probably saw an opportunity for food.

Unbelievable Excuses From Burglars in Alaska

Soldotna, Alaska

From the July 22, 2009 Anchorage Daily News:

Daniel Ames reckons he dealt one for the good guys on Saturday night near Soldotna when he came home, found two burglars in his house, wrestled with them over a pistol, then took them down, telling them he was going to blow off their knees if they didn't start following his orders.

One of the two 21-year-olds charged with the burglary turned out to be Ames' next-door neighbor, according to a report from the Alaska State Troopers. The young man registered a blood alcohol content of .418, which is more than five times the legal limit to drive.

Ames called the young men bandits.

The 49-year-old construction worker was returning home from work on Saturday around 9 p.m. when a neighbor told him some kids were wandering around near his home, which was being remodeled.

He rushed home to find his neighbor, Chance Tallman, and Joshua Simons trying to walk out of his house with a $125 ceiling fan, he said.

Ames said he wasn't going to let those guys get away with burglary.

"What are you two buttheads doing in my house?" he said.

To that, apparently, one of the young men said, "Who are you calling buttheads?" and began to pull out a Glock pistol.

Ames grabbed for it and began wrestling, thrashing Tallman's hand against wall studs to loosen his grip. The gun broke loose and then, according to Ames, the men looked ready to carry on with their fists. That's when he pulled out his own concealed weapon, also a Glock. He shot into the ground to let the burglars know he was serious, he said.

He told the men to get down on their knees. If they didn't, he was going to blow off their kneecaps.

He had them. Drama over. Good guy wins. Or so he says.

Tallman told troopers a different story. He was merely trespassing, picked up the fan to admire it, thinking his mother would like it, and then Ames barged in the door, put him in a chokehold, then recklessly shot the gun into the floor.

As for the Glock, that was his mother's, Tallman told the troopers. She showed up on the scene afterward and confirmed it was hers, troopers said.

Simons admitted to troopers that he was trespassing but said he was only admiring the construction work.

Troopers charged Tallman with burglary, theft, assault and misconduct with a weapon. Simons faces burglary and theft charges.

Trooper Sgt. James Truesdell, who investigated the case, said that when he arrived Ames had both men on the ground in the front yard. A Glock 23 was on the ground with a round in the chamber. Ames told the trooper that he had taken the pistol from Tallman, Truesdell wrote in his report.

The trooper said he didn't charge Ames with any crime but the district attorney may feel differently after reading the report. When asked what he meant, he read Alaska statutes on what constitutes legal defense of life and property.

Anchorage, Alaska Man Pulls Gun On Harrassing Teens

Anchorage, Alaska

From the May 7, 2009 Anchorage Daily News:

A report of a man pointing a gun at some teenagers on bikes at the Sears mall spurred an extensive police response and prompted school district officials to lock the doors at Fairview Elementary School Thursday afternoon.

But it turned out the young adults had in fact been harassing the man and that he pulled a weapon from his vehicle for protection, police Lt. Dave Parker said.

The two parties split after the incident at about 1:45 p.m., but witnesses followed the man with the gun north on the Seward Highway to 13th Avenue and Gambell Street, where police with guns drawn stopped the man and a passenger.

Seeing that activity, the principal of the Fairview school locked the doors, school district spokeswoman Heidi Embley said. It was the only school to take any action and reopened a short time later, she said.

After questioning the suspect and other witnesses -- the youths could not be located -- police determined the unnamed man had acted within his rights because he had not pointed the weapon at anyone and had not brandished it in a menacing manner, Parker said.

Home Invader Shot With Own Gun In Anchorage

Anchorage, Alaska

From the May 4, 2009 Fairbanks News-Miner:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Two people were shot Monday during an Anchorage home invasion and police said one of the robbery suspects may also have been wounded.

The homeowner, Tupo Santini, ran outside for help during the robbery. He managed to wrestle a gun away from one of the assailants and fire at him before all three fled, police said.

One man who may have been involved showed up at a hospital with a gunshot wound to his stomach but the other two were at large Monday morning, said police spokesman Lt. Dave Parker.

"We do not know who they are yet," Parker said.

Just after midnight, three armed men wearing dark "hoodies" broke into a mobile home in south Anchorage, intending to rob the home, police said.

Santini was at home with his five children. Police said his girlfriend, Christina Dau, had left to go to a store but his brother, Lofia Santini, and his girlfriend, Amy Itta, were visiting.

The men demanded money and one struck Tupo Santini on the head with a pistol. Santini suffered a cut to his head and the gun fired.

Lofia Santini began struggling with a suspect and Itta tried to crawl down a hallway.

Lofia Santini was shot twice in the chest and Itta was shot in the back. Police said their injuries were serious.

No children were injured.

Tupo Santini ran to get help and was chased outside by a gunman. Santini managed to wrestle the gun from the assailant and fire at him. The assailants then left.

Alaska: Todd Palin's half sister is arrested for burglary

Anchorage, Alaska

From the Anchorage Daily News of April 3, 2009

Todd Palin's half sister is arrested for burglary

Todd Palin's half-sister was arrested Thursday after police say she broke into a Wasilla home to steal money for the second time this week but ended up getting caught by the armed homeowner. The woman's 4-year-old daughter was nearby, police said.

Todd Palin is Gov. Sarah Palin's husband. He referred questions to a spokeswoman for the governor, who said the family would have no comment.

Police arrested 35-year-old Diana Palin at a house on West Mill Site Circle near Wasilla's Multi-Use Sports Complex.

Homeowner Theodore Turcott told police an unfamiliar gray 1993 Toyota Camry pulled into his driveway Thursday morning, according to a affidavit filed Friday at the Palmer courthouse. Turcott told police he'd been burglarized twice recently: Someone stole $2,200 on March 26, leaving $400 behind, and after another apparent break-in Tuesday, all but $9 was gone.

So, Turcott told police, when he didn't recognize the woman getting out of the Camry, he grabbed a gun and hid in the bathroom to see what would happen, said Wasilla police Deputy Chief Greg Wood.

Palin made straight for the bedroom cabinet where Turcott kept his cash, Wood said.

Turcott confronted her, detaining her until police arrived, he said.

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Alaska: Homeowner opens fire on intruder

North Pole, Alaska

From the Anchorage Daily News of November 18, 2008

Homeowner opens fire on intruder

A homeowner interrupting a burglary in progress late last week morning opened fire on the intruder as the burglar approached him and his wife, Alaska State Troopers said.

The burglar was not hit by the shots but did sustain minor injuries when he "went through the window" while fleeing the home, troopers said. Responding officers brought in a dog and tracked down a suspect, Bowen Alexander, 18, a short distance from the home, troopers said.

Troopers say Alexander had been drinking when he crashed his vehicle, broke into a home and entered the homeowner's vehicle. For reasons that were not immediately clear, Alexander then fled to the neighboring home, where the homeowner shot at him, troopers said.

Alexander was booked at the Fairbanks Correctional Center on charges of burglary, criminal mischief, driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, criminal trespass, assault and resisting arrest.

Alaska: Girl remains in critical condition after pit bull attack

Anchorage, Alaska

From KTUU of August 12, 2008

Girl remains in critical condition after pit bull attack

A 6-year-old girl remains in critical condition Tuesday after a pit bull attacked her and a baby sitter.

Two neighbors came to the rescue and one of them shot the dog to save the victims.

The attack happened a little before 3 p.m. at an East Anchorage trailer park, the Riviera Terrace, near 32nd Avenue and Lee Street.

"The report was a pit bull had attacked a 6-year-old girl and she was severely injured. In fact the original report thought the girl was dead," said APD Lt. Paul Honeman.

John Kersbergen and Shawnee Hart witnessed some of the attack.

"I heard the screams get worse. I looked out the window and I see the dog has the baby sitter by the arm out here and the neighbor has his pistol. He shoots away, then, and the dog lets go. But then the dog turned on him, so he had to shoot again and after, like, three shots he finally hit the dog in the leg," Hart said.

Police say Kyle Mayeaux rushed into the house to try and revive the little girl. Troy Danforth shot the dog in the leg, possibly saving the child's life.

No one knows for certain why the dog attacked the child but neighbors said the dog was known to be aggressive.

The child, however, lived with the dog so it seems it have been familiar with the residents.

"When their dog was attacking at us we had to swing at it with a metal leash and the owner is hollering at us, 'Don't hit our dog, it's friendly, it's a security dog,'" Hart said. "The dog is snarling, trying to pick my dog's head off."

Police say the baby sitter had injuries on her arm and leg.

There was a third, younger child in the house that was not attacked by the dog.

Alaska: Juneau man shoots bear who enters home

Juneau, Alaska

From KTUU of July 24, 2008

Juneau man shoots bear who enters home

A Juneau man shot and injured a bear who he says had entered his residence.

Local olice haven't identified him.

They say the man shot the bear in the face with a .45 semiautomatic handgun.

Officers have been unable to locate the injured bear.

Sergeant Chris Burke says the man reported being woken up by a noise in his residence.

The man told authorities that when he got out of bed the bear was about four feet into the home.

The bear turned and ran back toward the porch.

When the man yelled at the bear to encourage it to leave, the bear turned around and lunged and that's when the man shot it.

Sergeant Burke says officers tracked a blood trail for the bear, but haven't found it.

Alaska: Galena man shoots bear

Anchorage, Alaska

From KTUU of June 15, 2008

Galena man shoots bear

A power plant supervisor in the city of Galena is credited with saving the lives of his neighbors as they were under attack by a bear.

Howard Beasley says the large male black bear had recently been in the area feasting on moose calves. When those ran out it started coming in closer to homes.

Beasley stepped in to help in the middle of the night after a neighbor - Chris Kriska and his little sister, couldn't shoo the aggressive bear away.

The Galena Police Chief John Millan says the Kiska's dog, Scooby, distracted the bear until help arrived.

Beasley says after he showed up the bear charged out of the woods hunched low, snarling and clearly was not ready to back down.

So with a single shot, he killed it.

"People came out and shook my hand, said it was the first good night of sleep they'd had in a long time," Beasley said. "People were having nightmares. I had no idea it had such a big impact on people."

Millan calls the shooting clearly justified.

Alaska: Self-defense may be factor in fatal shooting near Willow

Willow, Alaska

From the Anchorage Daily News of January 26, 2008

Self-defense may be factor in fatal shooting near Willow

Alaska State Troopers are examining the possibility that a man who was killed near Caswell Lake north of Willow on Thursday was shot in self-defense.

Troopers have not yet arrested anyone in connection with the death of Bradley D. Mork, 43. Mork, of Talkeetna, died after being shot in a home driveway, troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said Friday.

Though no one has been charged, a male witness, also 43, was walking in the neighborhood with a "couple people" when troopers got to the scene about 20 minutes after the 5:30 p.m. call Thursday, she said. Peters did not identify the witness.

"We have identified someone who was involved in the incident that led up to the shooting, and they've been very helpful," Peters said.

Investigators are discussing the case with the Palmer district attorney to determine whether charges are warranted, she said. There is a possibility the shooting could turn out to be a case of self-defense, she said.

Peters refused to say whether the witness, who was apparently not related to Mork, had admitted shooting him.

She did not know whose home it was and was unsure whether the 911 call that Palmer police received originated from that residence or another in the area. Palmer police relayed the call to troopers.

Peters would not say how many times Mork was shot or what type of gun was used, but said the death was being investigated as a homicide.

The state medical examiner is expected to complete an autopsy on Mork in the next few days while the troopers' investigation continues.

A phone message left for the Palmer district attorney was not returned Friday.

Alaska: Grizzly, 3 cubs killed on Kodiak Island

Kodiak Island, Alaska

From the Seattle Times of January 1, 2008

Grizzly, 3 cubs killed on Kodiak Island

A rabbit hunter fired his pistol at a charging grizzly bear on Kodiak Island, badly wounding the old sow, which was later killed, as were her three cubs.

The hunter, whose name is not being released, was hunting rabbits near the American River on Friday about 15 miles outside Kodiak when the sow charged him, said John Crye, a wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, on Monday.

The hunter, who was carrying two weapons, shot the bear when it was about 10 yards away. It was the second time in a week that hunters had encountered the family of bears. The last time it was one of the cubs that charged a father and son out duck hunting as the mother and the other cubs slept nearby.

This time, the rabbit hunter was charged after he rounded a corner and surprised the sow, who was at least 25 years old.

"A rabbit hunter was in the brush and kind of woke them up out of their beds," Crye said. "He felt threatened by the sow, so he shot the sow."

The hunter immediately notified Alaska State Troopers and the Department of Fish and Game. Crye went with troopers to the site where the 8-foot, 400-pound sow lay barely alive.

It was determined that she was too badly injured and would have to be killed, so she was shot again.

...

Crye said the shooting was justifiable because the hunter felt threatened.

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Further links:
Rabbit hunter shoots charging bear

Palmer, Alaska

From KTUU of August 10, 2007

Homeowner kills charging pit bull

A homeowner in Palmer shot and wounded a pit bull after it charged at him.

Police say they went to the home last week and found two pit bulls had escaped from a nearby residence. 1 of the dogs charged a neighbor.

Police say the dog tried jumping through the neighbor's screen door last week. When it tried again, police say the homeowner shot it.

The dog's owner arrived within minutes and took the wounded dog to the North Star Animal Hospital.

Police say while discharging a firearm is against a city ordinance, the homeowner was well within his rights in trying to defend himself and his home from the dangerous dog.

Fairbanks, Alaska

From the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner of July 3, 2007

Two grizzlies shot on Chena Hot Springs Road

Two sibling grizzly bears were killed Sunday night within a half mile of each other on Chena Hot Springs Road, one by a state wildlife biologist responding to a report of two brazen bears in a woman’s yard, and the other by a homeowner who shot it after the bear tore a window out and ripped siding off his home.

The two shootings bring the number of nuisance grizzly bears killed in and around Fairbanks this season to eight, not counting another grizzly that was found dead from a gunshot wound, a case that state wildlife troopers are investigating.

The two bears were killed in the yards of residences at 19.5 Mile and 20 Mile on Chena Hot Springs Road, about 20 miles east of Fairbanks.

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Fairbanks, Alaska

From the Fairbanks Daily News of June 22, 2007

Another grizzly shot

A man reported shooting a female grizzly bear in self defense Wednesday.

Alaska State Troopers reported Thursday that Fairbanks resident Christopher Sampson had contacted state officials and reported he had shot the bear while tending a black bear baiting station.

The report said troopers believe Sampson, 25, and two hunting partners had been charged by the bear twice before it was shot and killed from 30 feet away.

The location of the killing was not listed in the trooper’s report, and Sampson could not be reached for comment. If the incident occurred near Fairbanks, it would bring to seven the number of grizzlies killed in the last month in outlying areas. A homeowner on Freeman Road killed two grizzly bears on consecutive nights earlier this week.

Fairbanks, Alaska

From the Juneau Empire of June 3, 2007

Fairbanks man shoots grizzly

Another grizzly bear has been shot outside Fairbanks. It was the third killed in defense of property in eight days.

A Fairbanks man shot the grizzly early Thursday off of Farmers Loop road north of the city. His property borders Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge.

Don Young, an Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist, said the bear and a sibling approached the man at his backyard farm.

"They were kind of nosing around where the guy had a cow and some geese," Young said. "He yelled at them and shot a couple shots in the dirt and they kind of ran off and split up, but one came back and he ended up shooting it."

State wildlife troopers will investigate the shooting, Young said.

He estimated the bear weighed about 200 pounds and was 3 or 4 years old.

Two grizzlies were killed near here May 24. One was shot in Salcha, south of Fairbanks, after it got into a pig pen. The other was killed at Mile 13 Elliott Highway when it walked into a yard and confronted a barking dog.

"This early in season, the end of May, three (shootings) around Fairbanks is definitely on the high side," Young said.

The bear killed Thursday was shot in the same area where two grizzly siblings were reported last spring. One of those bears was shot and killed when it approached a horse corral.

North Pole, Alaska

From KTVA of May 31, 2007

Man shoots threatening moose

Alaska wildlife state troopers say a North Pole musher will NOT be cited for shooting a moose that threatened to charge him. The cow was defending a calf from a sled dog that had pulled loose from a chain in the yard of musher Jonah Lilley. Wildlife Trooper Dennis Roe says Lilley shot the moose in the head Monday with a .22-caliber rifle from about 20 feet away.

Roe says the cow and calf -- which was probably was less than a week old -- walked into Lilley's dog lot and "riled the dogs up." He says one of Lilley's bigger huskies pulled its anchor out and ran to the moose. Lilley went into his house for the gun, came back out and fired it into the air to scare the moose. Roe says the cow turned away from the dog toward Lilley, and when it moved toward him, he shot it.

Roe says the loose dog grabbed the calf by its hind end and seriously injured it. Roe says that when he arrived, the calf was alive but could not stand up, so he shot it. He says the shooting of the cow appeared to be justified. The cow moose was salvaged by a charity. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game took the calf carcass for research. Wildlife officials say cow moose aggressively protect their young and neither calves nor cows should be approached, especially at this time of year.

Anchorage, Alaska

From the Anchorage Daily News of January 6, 2007

Man and Mr. Shotgun surprise burglar

ARMY VETERAN: One day after a break-in, victim lies in wait and collars suspect.

Don't mess with a retired military man -- especially one who takes it personally and gets out a shotgun when you break into his home.

Richard Noren, a seemingly mild-mannered ex-Army soldier and current Junior ROTC teacher, decided he wouldn't rely on the police after bandits broke down a door of his Eagle River home and stole thousands of dollars of his stuff while he was out of town.

Summoned by his daughter, Noren rushed back from his Seward vacation, parked his car far away from his house, shut off the lights, hid the dogs and then lay in wait, sitting on the living-room couch with a 20-gauge shotgun in his lap, for the burglars to return.

They did, just as he figured, and Noren grabbed the man who tried to come in the front door by the neck and held him at bay until police arrived.

Police arrested Tracy Randall, a 32-year-old on probation with a long rap sheet, on burglary charges.

"It's disheartening. Your privacy has been invaded," Noren said in an interview Friday. "I wouldn't encourage anybody to just grab a weapon if they don't feel comfortable doing it."

Noren's crime fighting has Anchorage police applauding his self-reliance but warning others not to follow in his footsteps.

"Sometimes you need to take steps to protect yourself," Anchorage police burglary Sgt. Ron Tidler said. "I'm not advocating go grab a gun and stick it in the ear of anybody knocking at your door by any means. ... But people should take reasonable measures to protect themselves -- whatever they deem reasonable."

Noren, 56, is happy with his do-it-yourself stakeout.

"There has to be vigilance in us or we will all be victims forever."

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Anchorage, Alaska

From the Anchorage Daily News of December 27, 2006

Hit-and-run driver shot after crash

BOTH ARMED: Pedestrian chases, fires at man who struck parked car.

A Christmas morning fender bender turned into a foot chase that left one man shot and injured on a Fairview street.

Police are still waiting for 22-year-old Josh Nida to recover from surgery after being shot in the chest to question him about the hit-and-run crash.

Nida drove a Subaru Impreza down 10th Avenue near LaTouche Street around 3 a.m. Monday, police say. He slammed into a parked car and kept driving on the snow-covered road.

Josh Cropper, a 25-year-old who works on the North Slope, said he was outside showing a friend where to park in front of his apartment complex. He saw the Impreza bang into the parked car on the south side of 10th Avenue and keep going. He decided to chase it. Cropper was armed with a 9mm Glock pistol at the time.

"I'm thinking he just hit a car and he's taking off. I need to get his license plate number or get him to stop," Cropper said.

Cropper pursued the car on foot down the road. About a block away, the car got stuck in a snowbank. Nida got out,
Cropper said. He was holding a Kalashnikov assault rifle.

"I'm thinking I'm about to be shot," Cropper said. "I shot him. He just ran down the road."

Police later said Nida had a warrant out for his arrest for failing to show up in court on a felony vehicle theft charge

A man riding in Nida's now snow-bound car as a passenger got out after the shot was fired and Nida ran off. He didn't seem concerned about Nida, Cropper said.

"He was like, 'I just want to grab my stuff,' " he said.

Cropper said he and his friend tried to hold the passenger at the scene, but the man eventually left. Cropper wouldn't say what he did next because "it's an ongoing investigation."

Police said Cropper fled the scene.

Another witness heard the shot and called 911. That witness tended to Nida until he was taken to the hospital where he had surgery.

Cropper, several hours later, went to the Anchorage Jail and told police what happened. He was then released.

The police have not yet interviewed Nida and no charges have yet been filed against anyone, said police spokeswoman Anita Shell.

Police are still looking for Nida's passenger and are asking him to come forward and tell them his version of events.

Police are considering Cropper's self-defense scenario, but want to hear from Nida and his passenger first, said Lt. Dave Koch.

"We only have one and a half sides to this story," Koch said. "We have (Cropper's) statement and the evidence found at the scene. But no statements from the passenger or Mr. Nida."

In an unrelated case, Nida is facing a vehicle theft charge. A $10,000 warrant for his arrest on that charge was issued Nov. 28. Police say the vehicle in the Christmas Day incident was not registered as stolen.

And, while Cropper holds a permit to carry a concealed weapon, it is not clear whether Nida was permitted to be carrying a weapon at all.

Cropper, who is a reservist for the U.S. Marines, wouldn't say whether it was the first time he'd shot someone. He didn't think much before pulling the trigger, he said.

"You're just reacting," he said.

Anchorage, Alaska

From Fairbank‘s WebCenter11.com of November 3, 2006

Authorities say Anchorage man shot teen in self-defense

Authorities say an Anchorage man will NOT be charged for killing a teenager in his driveway last summer.

According to the District Attorney's Office, Matthew Schneider shot 17-year-old James Ifopo in self-defense after the teen and two others attacked him in his driveway.

Authorities say Ifopo and the other two were on bicycles when they approached Schneider after he pulled into the driveway a little before midnight June 28th.

Department of Law spokesman Mark Morones says Schneider asked the youths to leave his property three times, and then said he would call the police.

Witnesses told police Ifopo then hit Schneider in the head and another teen pushed the door closed on him.

Schneider told authorities he was knocked to the ground with all three teenagers punching him. He said he pulled out a gun he carries and shot Ifopo in the chest.

Ifopo died of the injury

Sixteen-year-old Rodney Maatafa was hit in the arm, but survived.

Manley Hot Springs, Alaska

From the Anchorage Daily News of July 14, 2006

Tourist kills man who pointed gun at trooper

Shooter says victim had fired at him and companion.

A man was shot to death near Manley Hot Springs on Tuesday after pointing a long gun at an Alaska state trooper, officials said Thursday.

The man was shot by an out-of-state fisherman who had called for trooper assistance because, he said, the man who was killed had earlier been shooting at him and a fishing partner. The trooper was Michael Wery, based in Fairbanks.

The dead man had lived in the 75-person community of Manley Hot Springs for several years and had been camping nearby for what troopers say may have been several months.

The two men didn't know each other and troopers said their identities would be released only after family members had been notified.

Trooper spokesman Brandon Anderson said the man who was shot was 40 years old and had a criminal history, including a DUI.

The incident is still under investigation. Troopers don't know why he may have been shooting at the fishermen, who had been sportfishing on the Tanana River.

Troopers also didn't say whether the fisherman, a 42-year-old tourist from Arizona, would be charged in the shooting.

A law passed recently by the Alaska Legislature allows a person to use deadly force in self defense outside the home, but the law doesn't go into effect until mid-September.

"There will certainly be an investigation into whether it was defense of self and defense of a trooper," Anderson said.