Two incidents this week left two Alaska men dead, after they tried to take on Alaska State Troopers with guns.
On Monday, a man trying to break into a room at the Three Bears Motel ended up dead after brandishing an AK47-style weapon outside the building. An Alaska State Trooper shot him.
Timothy Thomas, a 21-year-old of Northway, was trying to break into the motel room and occupants, who knew him and were fearing for their lives, called 9-11. Troopers got the call at 2:30 a.m. and the man was recklessly brandishing the weapon when they arrived on scene. No other persons were injured during the incident.
On Wednesday, a male driver being pursued north of Healy by Troopers fired “multiple times” at the Troopers and others. Troopers fired back, striking the driver. The officers had used spike strips and other tactics to try to stop the man, later identified as Michael Grimes, 45, of Fairbanks. A female in the truck with Grimes, identified as Melody Perry, 42, of North Pole, was arrested for Misconduct Involving a Weapon III and taken to the Fairbanks Correctional Center.
That incident took place on the Parks Highway at about 1 pm, and the highway was closed to drivers for several hours, as the northbound chase and eventual shootout and cleanup took place.
Both of the deceased men have long court records indicating a history of illegal activity.
