Alaska Department Of Public Safety,State Troopers Public Information Office

Dispatch Text:

Update 4/1: The Alaska State Troopers that discharged their service weapon during the officer-involved shooting on March 29, 2022, are identified as:

• Alaska State Trooper Caleb Lloyd, a four-year veteran of the Alaska State Troopers currently assigned to the Mat-Su Valley
• Alaska State Trooper Harrison McKenney, a three-year veteran of the Alaska State Troopers currently assigned to the Mat-Su Valley
• Alaska State Trooper Andrew Wilkins, a one-year veteran of the Alaska State Troopers currently assigned to the Mat-Su Valley

The Alaska Bureau of Investigation is conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. Once their investigation is complete, it will be independently reviewed by the Alaska Office of Special Prosecution.

Original: On March 29, 2022, at approximately 5:46 pm, the Alaska State Troopers were notified that a man who was armed with an ax and a firearm had entered a home uninvited in Wasilla. The man, who was not known to the occupants of the home, was making demands to see a person that was not at the residence. The man then left the home and fled into a wooded area nearby. The occupants of the home were not injured.

Alaska State Troopers immediately responded to the scene along with DPS HELO 5 which was being operated by an Alaska Wildlife Trooper. Troopers began searching the wooded area near the residence for the man. While they were searching, the man was indiscriminately firing a weapon in an unknown direction. During the search, Troopers briefly spotted the man; however, he refused to follow commands and continued moving through the wooded area.

At approximately 8:15 pm, the man was located near Edelweiss Drive. The man began shooting at multiple Alaska State Troopers in the area. During an exchange of gunfire between the man and Troopers, the man was fatally wounded. The man, 35-year-old Wasilla resident Joshua Baert, was declared deceased at the scene. Next of kin have been notified.

No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident. As stated in DPS policy, the Alaska State Troopers that discharged their service weapons have been placed on administrative leave for three days.

The Alaska Bureau of Investigation is now conducting a thorough investigation into the incident; once complete, their investigation will then be independently reviewed by the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions. The name of the troopers that discharged their service weapons will be released after 72 hours per department policy.