Early Christmas morning, a woman armed with a hatchet was fatally shot by Juneau police after advancing on officers in a parking lot, despite a failed attempt to subdue her with a taser.
The incident occurred at 5:25 a.m. on Dec. 25 at the Valley Breeze-In, following reports of a disturbance involving a woman threatening people with a hammer.
Juneau Police Department officers arrived on the scene and encountered the 30-year-old woman in the parking lot. Holding a hatchet, the woman ignored repeated commands to drop the weapon and began advancing toward the officers.
In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, one officer deployed a taser, which struck the woman but failed to stop her approach. As the woman continued toward one of the officers with the hatchet, an officer discharged their firearm, fatally striking her.
Emergency medical personnel from Capital City Fire/Rescue were dispatched, but the woman was declared deceased at the scene. No officers or bystanders were injured during the incident.
The Juneau Police Department and the Alaska Bureau of Investigation will conduct an investigation into the shooting. The State of Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions will review the findings to determine whether the use of lethal force was legally justified.
Per JPD policy, the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave. Their names will remain undisclosed until they have been formally interviewed as part of the investigation. The woman’s next of kin has been notified.
