Alaska Department Of Public Safety,State Troopers Public Information Office

Dispatch Text:

UPDATE 2/27: On behalf of the North Slope Borough Police Department, the Alaska Department of Public Safety is identifying Donovan Chappell as the officer who discharged his weapon.

ORIGINAL: On Feb. 24, 2025, the North Slope Borough Police Department requested assistance from the Alaska Bureau of Investigation for an officer involved shooting that occurred in Utqiagvik. A preliminary investigation revealed that NSBPD officers responded to a residence that morning on reports of a domestic violence assault and made contact with 41-year-old Akugaq Leavitt outside the home. Leavitt did not comply with police orders and fled in an attempt to return to the residence. One NSBPD officer discharged his weapon and shot Leavitt. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

One person inside the residence was transported to the hospital for injuries that are believed to have been sustained during the domestic violence assault. Leavitt had an outstanding warrant for his arrest related to a previous domestic violence incident. ABI investigators from the Mat-Su and Fairbanks responded to Utqiagvik on Feb. 24. The investigation is ongoing.

Leavitt’s next of kin has been notified and his body was sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy. Once ABI’s investigation is complete, the shooting will be independently reviewed by the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions.