Alaska Department Of Public Safety,State Troopers Public Information Office

Dispatch Text:

At the request of the Bethel Police Department, the Alaska Bureau of Investigation is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred in Bethel on March 25, 2026, at approximately 4:05 am. A preliminary investigation indicates an adult male had been taken to the Bethel hospital earlier in the night after standing in the roadway and refusing to move onto the sidewalk. The man left the hospital before being seen and later returned to the roadway. Officers contacted the man a second time, at which point he produced a knife and refused multiple commands to drop it. The man then approached an officer while brandishing the knife, and the officer fired, striking him. The man was medevaced to an Anchorage-area hospital for treatment of serious injuries. No other injuries were reported to Troopers.

The Alaska Bureau of Investigation's Western Alaska Major Crimes Unit has assumed case responsibility. Once their investigation is complete, it will be independently reviewed by the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions.