Police have identified the man who died early Sunday morning after falling down an approximately 80-foot cliff into Kowee Creek in North Douglas.
Juneau Police Department Officer-in-Charge Terry Allen said by phone Sunday afternoon he was 22-year-old Evan Smith. His family had been notified, Allen said.
Police say they heard a woman’s cries for help as they were responding to another case in the area around 2 a.m., according to a JPD information release. They located the 18-year-old woman in Kowee Creek behind the Cedar Park apartment complex off Cordova Street. Capital City Fire and Rescue responded to the scene, took the woman out of the water, and took her to Bartlett Regional Hospital.
Allen said the woman sustained multiple injuries from the fall. He added they were not life threatening, but they weren’t minor either.
Phone calls to the BRH media liaison Sunday afternoon were not immediately returned.
The woman’s name has not yet been released because she is not a suspect in the case, Allen said.
Allen said the two had been walking together down the steep trail behind Cedar Park, which was blanketed in snow. The investigation is ongoing.
• Contact reporter Emily Russo Miller at 523-2263 or at emily.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (18)
Add commentleave it to jpd
lyin jpd scum. They were chasing these kids is what i heard. Way to run kids off a cliff. down with JPD.
@Juneaudude..
I heard something very similar yesterday but the details about why they would have been chasing them were unclear. What did you hear about that?
Domestic violence
The story I got from a relative:
The girl's mother had a domestic violence restraining order against the young man because he had been physically abusing her daughter. When she turned 18, the mother no longer had any control over her, and the girl would not seek an order.
The relative seemed to think that they jumped out the window when the cops came to arrest him for assaulting the daughter; it was unclear whether she went willingly.
They ran towards the creek; it's unclear whether she jumped after him or they jumped together.
Quit your cop bashing! Even
Quit your cop bashing! Even if they were running from the police, It was a decision that they made to run! The cops did not force them to run! The blame lies with these two young adults, no one else!
It is a shame that one of them paid with his life but it is not the fault of JPD.
Quit your cop bashing! Even
Quit your cop bashing! Even if they were running from the police, It was a decision that they made to run! The cops did not force them to run! The blame lies with these two young adults, no one else!
It is a shame that one of them paid with his life but it is not the fault of JPD.
Sorry
Sorry, I did not mean to post that twice.
Running from the cops is a
Running from the cops is a crime in and of itself. If what some of the above posters said is true, they were in the midst of committing a criminal act when they fell.
JPD did nothing wrong, in
JPD did nothing wrong, in fact JPD helped save her life. Just because a cop knocks on the door and someone flees and ends up hurt or killed, it is not their fault.
If she was beaten or hospitalized by her boyfriend and JPD did not respond then they would be fair game.
We have laws in the state, we hire these people to enforce our laws and then bash them for doing what we ask them to do.
If you break the law, expect to be held accountable. Your response to the situation is yours to make. If you resist arrest and fight with a cop, how can you complain about going to jail with a bruise or two? You made the choice.
We all need to have personal accountability. If you mess up, you need to look at your actions not just blame a cop for catching you.
This is a tragic situation and this poor girl has to live with the choices they made. Quit bashing the PD for doing what they were obligated to do. They had no control over their choices.
Police say they heard a
Police say they heard a woman’s cries for help as they were responding to another case in the area around 2 a.m., according to a JPD information release.
If they were chasing them they would say so, why the heck would they come back and lie about it? Unless of course its some big cover up to hide the fact that they were doing there job?
Fireguy is right
Perfectly said! I couldn't have said it better myself. Personal accountability is missing from nearly all aspects of life in the United States.
None the less....
None the less. My condolences go out to Evan Smith's family for the loss. Weather he was running or not. It is hard to loose a member of your family.
Maybe
I am just wondering that after the death, if I maybe have a chance at getting my stolen rifle back from the estate. If there is a 30.30 with his stuff, it belongs to my wife and we want it back. Otherwise, there are a lot of other rifles in town that have a better chance to live with their rightful owners now.
condolences to the family
I would have have to agree with fireguy as well, well said sir!
And haineschris, are you kidding me? Asking for your rifle back through the JE article comments..pick up a phone or walk your lazy arse to the PD and ask about your personal crap.
Even though this kid might have a criminal history, have some sympathy for the family reading this article. smh
Nothislander
My point is I liked my rifle far better than I ever like him and the short time I was around him. Get off of it if you think at because someone has passed that all of a sudden all is forgiven. Families usually know more about the dark side than the rest of us so if you want to glamorize a criminal, go for it. Otherwise the truth is what the truth is. And yes, there is a police report on the theft.
RE:
I'm not here to argue with you about your personal belongings, there is a time and place to ask about that.
And if you're going to judge a family by one bad egg then I feel bad for you. You're probably one of those people better off without a rifle.
@HainesChris:
By any chance, is your wife's name Haily?
Reading all these heartless
Reading all these heartless posts on here about this tragic event that has happened really makes me sick!!! obviously those who want to sit here and bash the choices he has made in his life, well guess what your no better yourself for down talking all the wrong that has occured in his life. Didn't your PARENTS teach you anything either "if you have nothing nice to say then don't say it at ALL"
no family should ever have to go through this at all I know what it's like to loose a child whether they be in there 20's or just a baby. Have some compassion for his MOM did it ever occur to you that she can be reading these herself and as if she's not hurting enough from having to bury her SON she has to read all this hurtfull crap from people that don't even know their FAMILY!!!! i am so sorry for your loss AUNTY
Tough Lesson
The sad lesson here is don't run from the police. Plain and simple.