At 7:32 p.m. on July 30, 2025, Juneau police officers arrested 47-year-old Marisa Didrickson for throwing water in the face of a 52-year-old black man and insulting him with racial slurs. According to Juneau Police Department (JPD)’s information release, Didrickson told bystander Christopher Williams, Jr. to “take care of him,” nodding to the 52-year-old man she had assaulted.
Officer LeBlanc’s body camera footage showed the following interaction: Officer Brandon LeBlanc pushed Williams down the sidewalk, saying “go before you go to jail too.” Williams then turned around and said, “Don’t do that.” LeBlanc then told Williams he was going to jail, too, and attempted to arrest him, repeatedly ordering him to put his hands behind his back. Williams resisted arrest, repeatedly saying, “I was walking.” LeBlanc warned, “You are about to get slammed” and, after Williams continued to resist, Officer LeBlanc took him to the ground, snidely remarking, “walking now huh? What’d I tell you?” Williams lost consciousness when his head hit the concrete, and later he was medevacked to Seattle.
Public outcry ensued after a witness posted a video of Officer LeBlanc’s use of force. Juneau residents gathered in protest of police violence on August 2. Williams plans to sue the Juneau Police Department.
Officer LeBlanc was immediately put on administrative leave while the department investigated the issue. On Aug. 25, JPD released LeBlanc’s body camera footage from the event and publicly announced its disapproval of LeBlanc’s actions. LeBlanc resigned the day before the footage was released.
JPD Chief of Police Derek Bos stated:“What happened on July 30 was not consistent with department policy, values or the conduct we expect from our officers.”
On Sept 29, Police Chief Derek Bos released a memorandum detailing the department’s increased effort to better train officers in de-escalation techniques and to avoid the use of force. According to Bos: “To summarize, JPD has spent a significant amount of time in the last two months looking at ourselves in the “mirror”. As with most introspective processes, the dominant question is “Do I like what I see?” … We would be remiss to believe there is no room for growth, for there is; however, as we reflect, it is clear that JPD continues to set the standard for policing.”
LeBlanc’s case was sent to the Office of Special Prosecutions (OSP) for review. According to a press release by Alaska’s Department of Law on Oct. 10: “After a review of the evidence in the case, including the independent investigation conducted by the Alaska State Troopers’ Alaska Bureau of Investigation, and an analysis of the applicable law, OSP determined it would not criminally charge Officer LeBlanc for the incident.”
Despite public outcry and JPD’s denouncement of LeBlanc’s actions, Officer LeBlanc will not be held accountable in criminal court.
Put little value in any opinion of Politico-cop Chief Bos.
What you generally find in most police chiefs is their duty is to their career; not that their career is one of duty.
The last thing they ever desire is to be placed in a situation where their choice is between the sometimes harsh requirements of law enforcement and the tenuous requirements of media approval.
The job can be a harsh one, and frankly, to those not inured to violence, the viewing of such is always shocking.
We cannot build trust in public officials if they will not hold those who break the law accountable. This police officer needs to be held accountable for his crimes.
Do you have all the facts? Where you there? The officer isn’t off the hook yet. I’m sure there will be a civil suit being filed soon.
The arrestee was resisting.
And how many criminal affidavits and complaints have you filed in any jurisdiction in these United States?
I expect none.
News for you, however disturbing a use of force may be to you, it isn’t so much shocking to one who has actually both done the job AND investigated LE for both use-of-force issues and criminal matters.
Yes, that describes me.
Yes, I have preferred charges against LE before.
No, this case wouldn’t qualify as a criminal issue…AND …if I were a Juneau PD officer I’d shop for another department based upon how readily Chief Bos races for a dark corner the moment there’s negativity media attention.
Essentially, if Bos had made a neutral statement pending investigative results (as he should have) or no statement at all, there would have been far less public concern.
Guess what, Tex, it’s a hard job and violence can be ugly; especially if you’re a “flight” sissy instead of a man.
The officer could have used more restraint but his actions are understandable considering the circumstances. His is a very difficult job where decisions are quick to insure the safety of the public. If you want a situation where you cannot find enough applicants keep bending to the extreme anti law enforcement minority.
What about the fact this clown of an officer was fired/resigned from another department, I think in La., for excessive force? Juneau just picking up some other PD’s dregs………..check…………….
Very poorly written article. I had to
read it several times to understand who the parties were.
Regrettably MRAK is just not as good as it used to be under Downing’s watch.