Man shot for wielding axe and threatening people

The Bethel Police Department received a report of a male outside of the Alaska Commercial store, at 135 Ridgecrest Street, threatening people with an axe on 12/5/2020 at approximately 0600 hours.

Officers located the subject at the Alba’s Coffee Shop at 410 Ridgecrest where he threatened the officers with two axes. One officer fired his service pistol, striking the armed man. Bethel Fire Department medics took the suspect to the YKHC emergency room where he was treated for a non-life threatening injury. The other citizens and officers were uninjured.

Bethel Police Department has asked the Alaska Bureau of Investigation to assume responsibility for the investigation of the officer involved shooting. BPD will retain the investigation portion for the suspect. If anyone has any information regarding this incident, please contact the Bethel Police Department at (907) 543-3781 or the Alaska Bureau of Investigation at (907) 269-5511.

The two Bethel police officers that were on scene at the time of the shooting are on routine leave pending an administrative investigation. Both officers had body worn cameras activated during the event and the video has been given to ABI as case evidence.