Officers shoot, kill knife-wielding vagrant in downtown Juneau

By
Suzanne Downing
-
23
Homeless camp in SEAHC doorway on Front Street in Juneau

The Juneau Police Department was following up on an assault that occurred on July 14, when an officer contacted a downtown well-known homeless vagrant, 35-year-old Steven Kissack. The entire incident, involving JPD and an officer, was captured by people nearby on video and posted on social media. Various people in Juneau held a candlelight vigil for him.

At the Juneau Assembly meeting, city manager Katie Koester called it a tragedy. Others said it was a tragedy the man had been enabled to live as he did for so long, camping on downtown Juneau sidewalks. He has a long criminal record involving trespass, illegal camping, and violation of conditions of release.

Alaska Department of Public Safety provided an account: While trying to get Kissack to submit to an investigation, Kissack, , during the contact Kissack produced a knife and refused to follow orders from the officer. The Juneau Police Officer requested additional law enforcement officers in the area to respond for assistance, and a Juneau-based Alaska Wildlife Trooper and several JPD Officers responded to the scene.

Officers negotiated with Kissack for several minutes encouraging him to drop the knife he was brandishing, however, he continued to refuse commands. Juneau Police Officers deployed less-lethal bean bag-style rounds to encourage Kissack to comply with the orders of the officers.

Kissack soon charged officers while brandishing the knife. Multiple law enforcement officers discharged their weapons, striking Kissack. Several shots were fired. Despite lifesaving efforts by law enforcement on the scene and EMS, Kissack was declared deceased at a Juneau area hospital. No law enforcement officers or bystanders were injured. Kissack’s body will be sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy. His next of kin have been notified.

The Juneau Police Officers who discharged their weapons have been placed on administrative leave. The Alaska Wildlife Trooper who discharged their weapon has been placed on 72 hours of administrative leave in accordance with DPS policy, and their names will be released in three days.

The Alaska Bureau of Investigation is the lead investigating agency. Once their investigation is complete, it will be independently reviewed by the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions to determine if the lethal use of force was justified.

23 COMMENTS

  1. Looking back a bit:

    ‘https://www.juneauempire.com/news/just-a-typical-christmas-eve-among-homeless-friends-on-front-street/

    “He also, not surprisingly, has acquired plenty of street and survival skills over the years.

    “A sword isn’t as good as a knife if a bear attacks you because you can’t move the sword right, but you can stab the bear in the eye with a knife and survive,” he said. “It’s also the best weapon for melee combat because it’s a throwing weapon.””

  2. “The Alaska Wildlife Trooper who discharged their weapon has been placed on 72 hours of administrative leave in accordance with DPS policy….” This phrase is grammatically incorrect. The possessive pronoun, their, refers to the plural pronoun, they. Since a “wildlife trooper” is a singular person, a singular possessive pronoun, such as his or hers, is required. I hope this malapropism has nothing to do with the current woke trend of misusing pronouns in a nonsensical manner which contributes to the decline of our culture.

      • I see it a lot recently. Maybe it is poor grammar, or a new woke-speak, but it can be confusing. Did the wildlife trooper share a weapon with the other cops?

  4. Well… he died doing what he loved, being a huge waste of public resources and a martyr for more public spending by taxpayers that doesn’t solve the underlying causes.

  5. And people like Koester really don’t understand why Juneau is in decline. They really don’t. They can’t. Admitting it is an admission all the years of stupid leftist governance hasn’t worked.

    Genuine compassion gets him off the streets. Genuine compassion protects the rest of the community from a repeat criminal offender. Genuine compassion is held for the cops who were forced to kill a deranged man due to failed borough policies.

  6. His ALASKA criminal history also shows ASSAULT convictions, btw.

    Records suggest that he’s a fairly new arrival. A mere 17 court cases since 2021. Seventeen.

  8. So cozy little Juneau is finally getting a taste of what happens when they toy with the Progressive Leftist Party. Welcome to reality! Just keep dabbling in your destructive ideology and you’ll soon be Seattle where the streets are paved with human fecal matter…NOT GOLD!

  12. Probably won’t be the last as Koester’s Kids proliferate.
    .
    Expect candle shortages as vigils increase accordingly.

  13. No mention of the crime victim that brought JPD to contact this drain on society.
    JPD was not there to harass him, but to question him in relation to a crime.
    If I had to guess, he was a suspect in some type of criminal activity.

    If you are stupid enough to bring a knife to a gun fight….You will get a fast education.
    All this shit bird had to do was drop the knife…NOT charge the Po Po.
    Kissack kissed the pavement on final time…Love the liquor bottle in the memorial picture.
    You know that will be stolen by day’s end….OE for life !!!!
    Congrats on winning the dirt nap sweepstakes. He took the sidewalk temperature challenge.
    Kudos to JPD for “downsizing” Juneau’s vagrant population any way they can…can we get these officers employee of the month nominations.

  14. they were letting him know his rights” you have the right to remain dead!”And you’ll continue to vote Democrat

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