A grand jury on Friday indicted an ex-Juneau Police Department lieutenant who opened fire on police officers earlier this month over the Easter weekend.
Troy A. Wilson, 45, was indicted on 20 felony charges, six of which are for first-degree attempted murder, according to the indictment.
Previously heard in Juneau District Court, the case is now assigned to Juneau Superior Court Judge Louis Menendez. A District Court hearing was planned for late Friday afternoon, but was vacated as that case was closed out and re-opened in Superior Court.
Wilson was arrested early Easter morning following a five-hour shooting spree. Prosecutors say the former SWAT instructor barricaded himself in his house and fired about 75 to 100 shots at his former coworkers with high-powered rifles and handguns. No one was injured in the incident, police said.
A 17-year JPD veteran, Wilson resigned at the end of December as he was being investigated for off-duty behavior that allegedly violated police policy and procedure, police said.
Police did not disclose the subject of that investigation, saying that it was associated with a psychological condition for which he was being treated.
At the time of the shooting, Wilson worked as a juvenile probation officer under the state of Alaska’s Division of Juvenile Justice, according to an online employee directory.
According to charging documents, police officers responded to Wilson’s house on Black Wolf Way the evening of April 7 when they received a 911 phone call from his wife. She told police her husband was suicidal and had a gun.
Wilson, who was wearing an armored vest, warned police he was going to shoot if anyone came near his house, and then he used night vision equipment to fire off rounds at police officers, prosecutors say.
The indictment specifically charges Wilson with attempting to murder three JPD officers, two detectives and one sergeant. They are Officers Lee Phelps, Darin Schultz and Joseph Heynen; Detectives Brandon Lawrenson and Krag Campbell; and Sgt. Chris Gifford.
First-degree attempted murder is an unclassified felony.
The indictment, which is a formal accusation of illegal activity, also charges Wilson with six counts of second-degree weapons misconduct.
Two of those are for knowingly discharging a firearm at or in the direction of a dwelling, and four counts are for knowingly discharging a firearm at or in the direction of a dwelling with reckless disregard for a risk of physical injury a person.
That’s a class ‘B’ felony that can carry up to 10 years in prison.
Wilson was indicted on six counts of third-degree assault for recklessly placing Lt. David Campbell, Sgt. Dominic Branson, Det. Brian Dallas and Officers Nick Garza, Jeremy Weske and Shawn Phelps, in fear of imminent serious physical injury.
Third-degree assault is a less serious class ‘C’ felony that can carry up to five years in prison.
Wilson also faces two felony criminal mischief charges for damaging JPD and another person’s property, as well as two misdemeanor weapons misconduct charges for knowingly possessing a firearm while impaired by liquor or a controlled substance, and for knowingly discharging a firearm from, on or across a highway.
Wilson was originally charged with 15 felony charges, as listed in a criminal complaint filed by District Attorney David Brower immediately after the shooting. Now, including the two misdemeanors, Wilson faces a total of 22 charges.
• Contact reporter Emily Russo Miller at 523-2263 or at emily.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (5)
Add commentsorry for this.........
This is sad...uncalled for, to much alcohol....dam booze...
Nobody put a gun to his head and made him drink.
We are all responsible for our actions. This is indeed sad. But don't blame it on the booze. It appears he snapped. It can happen.
The blame goes squarely on his shoulders.
My sincere sympathies to his friends, neighbors and family.
May I ask?
What "pressure" was brought to bare that invoked the drinking? Perhaps his brother's and sister's in blue have more to do with his actions than the booze (possibly the root cause)? After all, it was his actions towards them that has brought him before a judge.
It appears to anyone listening that he did what he thought anyone should do when the police come for them. If you know what the police are about (as this man did) then the right course of action becomes obvious. Perhaps there is something to be said about the tact he used, there are many throughout the country who are coming to the same conclusion. The police are corrupt, there are few people left who actually believe they are the "peace Keepers" of old.
Now we have one of their own who has shown a glimmer of truth. I would wait and see what he says should he ever be allowed to take the stand (unlikely). When he starts telling where all the bones are buried within the JPD I'm sure there will be something to be said about why he left the force...
hmm
and lets not forget about that other one.
Could it be....?
A specially trained SWAT member who had a night vision goggle advantage on JPD, he could have taken them out sooo easily. The "suicide" threat was to get his wife to do exactly what she did, call JPD. So they would respond and he could play around and get put in jail.
Could it be that Wilson wants to be in jail? Perhaps to "crime school" up with other felons :-? We are putting away a man who spent years with our law enforcement, putting him away with criminals who will be returning to our streets from now until forever. Wilson could be in there spending his time giving out some gooshy details on JPD. Most criminals don't like JPD anyhow, so this is fantastic :)
FACT!!!
Most suicide threats are for attention, because true suicidal ends in death :-/