Update, 7 p.m. Monday:
A Juneau man has died after he was shot multiple times by police on Front Street in downtown Juneau on Monday afternoon.
The Alaska Bureau of Investigation identified 35-year-old Juneau resident Steven Kissack as the man involved in the incident. He was declared dead at Bartlett Regional Hospital.
According to a release from the Alaska Department of Public Safety, an officer from the Juneau Police Department contacted Kissack on Front Street shortly after 1 p.m. about an assault that allegedly took place on Sunday. Police say Kissack produced a knife and was not listening to the officer. The officer called for backup from other law enforcement officers in the area.
After several minutes of telling him to drop the knife, officers shot “less-lethal bean bag-style rounds” at him. The release says he then charged officers with the knife and multiple officers shot at him. He was then given CPR and taken to the hospital shortly after.
The police officers who shot Kissack have been placed on administrative leave per department policy and an Alaska Wildlife Trooper who also opened fire has been placed on 72 hours of administrative leave. Their names will be released in three days.
In videos of the incident shared with KTOO by witnesses, Kissack appears to hold an object toward officers and approaches them before being shot multiple times. He begins to run as officers continue shooting. He then falls to the ground.
Kissack was a member of Juneau’s unhoused community, and was often seen downtown accompanied by his dog, Juno. She’s currently being housed by Juneau Animal Rescue.
The Alaska Bureau of Investigation is now in charge of the investigation. Once complete, the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions will determine if the lethal use of force was justified.
In a statement at a Juneau Assembly committee meeting Monday night, City Manager Katie Koester called the situation a tragedy.
“Our hearts and minds are with the families of everyone involved in the tragic incident,” she said.
Original story:
A man was taken to the hospital Monday after an altercation with police on Front Street in downtown Juneau.
Speaking from the scene of the incident, Juneau Police Chief Derek Bos said he had little information to share at the time.
“All I can tell you is we did have an officer-involved shooting with an armed suspect,” he said. “Beyond that, I don’t have any more information.”
In a video of the incident shared with KTOO by a witness, the man appears to hold an object and approaches police before being shot multiple times. At one point, he begins to run away as officers continue shooting. He then falls to the ground.
Another witness who asked to remain anonymous said the man was holding a knife. Police did not immediately confirm what the object was, how many officers were involved in the incident or how many shots were fired.
The area of the incident was taped off and surrounded by police vehicles and ambulances around 1:30 p.m. The man was receiving CPR.
Bos said the man was transported to Bartlett Regional Hospital. His condition is not known at this time.
“There’s no threat to the public, we’re not concerned about anyone else’s safety right now,” he said. “This was a contained situation and it is unfortunate.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
