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Investigation into deadly standoff continues

June 29th 7:57 pm | Hannah Heimbuch Print this article   Email this article   Create a Shortlink for this article

The Alaska State Troopers have released the names of the officers injured in last Sunday's standoff in Kotzebue. The confrontation between troopers, police and an armed motorist, Arvid Nelson Jr., left two troopers injured and Nelson dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Trooper Christopher Bitz, assigned to the Kotzebue post in December of 2010, was wounded seriously by a shot to the upper leg during the gunfire exchange between Nelson and the officers. He was medevaced to Anchorage for medical treatment, where he is still recovering. Bitz has been a trooper since 2007.

Trooper Gordon Young of the Kotzebue post suffered a minor bullet graze. He was treated at the medical clinic in Kotzebue before returning to the scene that day.

Young has been a trooper since 2007, prior to which he served as a municipal police officer in Dillingham and Wyoming for six and a half years. He was assigned to the Kotzebue post in 2010.

The police officer that initially responded to the Sunday morning call was Sergeant Norman Hughes of the Kotzebue Police Department. Hughes, who has been with the department for 12 years, responded to a report that Nelson's truck had hit the guardrail on Ted Stevens Way and that Nelson was armed.

Troopers brought in a special emergency reaction team and a trained crisis negotiator, but attempts to contact Nelson were unsuccessful.

The Alaska Bureau of Investigation, the investigative arm of the Alaska State Troopers, is still conducting its investigation into the day's events. The Department of Law's Office of Special Prosecutions and Appeals will review the report.

Their purpose is to determine whether the officers and troopers involved in the situation acted lawfully throughout the confrontation.

The next review is undertaken by the Department of Public Safety.

According to the Alaska State Trooper report, this multi-leveled investigation is carried out "to determine if the troopers' actions were appropriate under the circumstance, in accordance with department policy, and they used every option to try to avoid using deadly force and prevent the final outcome."

Further details are unavailable until the investigation is concluded. The troopers are still asking that anyone with photos, video or information about the events of June 17 please contact (907) 269-5611.

Hannah Heimbuch can be reached at hheimbuch@reportalaska.com

 

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