Fugitive mortality in Aniak

A US Marshals Fugitive Task Force was in Aniak at the request of the Alaska State Troopers to effect a high-risk arrest warrant for 34-year-old Aniak resident Andrew John on February 4, 2022, at approximately 1 pm. John was wanted on a $2,500 felony arrest warrant for Assault III due to an incident that occurred in Aniak on January 29, 2022. As the task force was clearing the house, John shot at the team inside the home striking a Deputy US Marshal. The task force evacuated the wounded deputy and created a perimeter around the house. A short time later, John emerged from his home armed with a loaded shotgun. In response to the threat, multiple members of the task force fired their weapons fatally striking John. John was declared deceased at the scene. John’s next of kin have been notified and his remains are being transported to the Alaska State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.

The wounded deputy was taken to the Aniak Clinic and then medevaced to an Anchorage area hospital. The deputy is currently in fair condition.

The Alaska State Troopers Bureau of Investigation (ABI) has assumed the investigative responsibility for this incident. ABI Major Crimes Investigators are currently in Aniak conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. Once their investigation is complete, it will then be independently reviewed by the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions.