The State Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions has concluded its review of a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred in Anchorage on May 12, involving Anchorage Police Department Officer Carter Mayes and Utuva Alaelua.
The review determined that Officer Mayes was legally justified in using deadly force during the incident.
The shooting arose from a traffic stop involving Alaelua. During the encounter, Officer Mayes inquired about the presence of firearms in the vehicle, and Alaelua denied having any weapons. However, officers observed a handgun on Alaelua’s lap. When instructed to exit the vehicle, Alaelua reached toward his lap, prompting Officer Mayes to fire a single shot. Alaelua was declared deceased at the scene.
The ruling comes amid escalating calls for expanded oversight of the Anchorage Police Department. Activists with the Party for Socialism and Liberation Anchorage are collecting signatures for a proposed ballot initiative that would establish an independent inspector general for the city, aimed at increasing stress on police. Simultaneously, the Anchorage Assembly is moving forward with a proposal to create a formal police oversight commission.
The push for greater oversight comes as a string of violent incidents has marred the Anchorage summer. On Sunday, police responded to a mass shooting in downtown Anchorage, directly across from the police station; one person died. Days earlier, a shooting near Mulcahy Stadium forced young baseball players to take shelter in dugouts during an evening game. Both shooters remain at large as of Monday. Police have not released many details about either event.
The Anchorage Assembly is applying pressure on police and playing Monday morning quarterback whenever a police officer has to use his/her weapon, at the same time police are dealing with rising violent crime in Anchorage.
Assembly is a bunch of useless tools
Keep the Ketchikan youth OUT of Anchorage. No youngster should be placed in a community where the criminal control is being thwarted by elected officials.
Why place our youth or for that matter, any citizen of Ketchikan in potentially harms way. That word ‘Harm’ is a daily report with no improvement in sight.
WE THE PEOPLE STAND & BACK OUR POLICE GOD PLEASE RIDE WITH OUR OFFICERS. LISA RANK CHOICE RIGGED ELECTIONS HAVE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES FOR ALL. LAFRANCE SO HELP YOU GOD MOCKERS OUT REMEMBER JUDAS WAS USED & GOD NEEDS US ALL GOOD & BAD TO COMPLETE HIS FINAL SCENE TO THIS WORLD AGE. INTEGRITY
the Assembly if left unchecked will turn Anchorage to a liberal hole like Seatle Morons are clueless about policing
More strategy from the socialist takeover playbook. First, completely destabilize a nation by promoting chaos and crime, then tie the hands of police, and finally, insist that only ‘draconian measures’ (eg.: imposition of martial law followed by forming a horrific police state) must be done to cope with the ‘insurmountable’ problems? We’ve seen it before; I hope to God it never happens here.
Not making excuses for anyone. However, how would one exit a vehicle without removing the weapon from one’s lap?
I have to use extra precautions just using a public restroom. That’s dealing with a holstered weapon.
Were extra detailed instructions given?
Driving in a city with a weapon on your lap? Ignorance and unsafe for anyone around him.
If it was properly holstered he would not have to touch it and he would or should be alive.
Play stupid games win stupid prizes.
Do you think the “victim” ever took or completed a gun safety course. My guess is NO.
Detailed instructions would have been given during the safety course.
If one is foolish enough to even think about reaching for a weapon it is a lost cause.
Its simple. If you have a firearm in your possession in a vehicle and you get pulled over, you immediately inform the officer you have said weapon. Meanwhile, keep your hands on the steering wheel while you have a conversation about the weapon and how to deal with it. Nothing more complicated than that.
The deceased lied about having the weapon so whatever he was doing is why he’s dead. All he had to do was put his hands up and tell the Officer he had a weapon. I believe he was a felon and felons are not allowed to be in possession of weapons. Either way I’ve been pulled over twice and first I kept my hands on the steering wheel and calmly told the officer that I was armed and where the weapon was secured. I explained my movements required to give him what he asked for and made only those movements. While one officer wrote my ticket his partner stayed with me and we were done in a few minutes.
Taking out the trash…Well done.