A driver was fatally shot Monday by law enforcement after he pointed a gun at a female passenger while his car was blocked by police vehicles in Fairbanks, Alaska State Troopers said Monday.
The incident occurred after the man attempted to flee from officers for the second time in as many days, troopers said in a statement.
The female passenger was injured by gunfire and taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. An injured trooper was treated and released.
The driver was identified as Amos Lane, 57, of Anchorage, according to troopers.
Troopers early Sunday attempted to stop a 2011 Ford sedan for erratic driving in Fairbanks. Troopers pursued the car until conditions became unsafe for a pursuit, the statement said.
About 9 a.m. Monday, troopers attempted to pull over the same vehicle again. The sedan again fled, and troopers and Fairbanks police officers gave chase.
About 15 minutes later, they were able to block the vehicle.
Troopers say that’s when the man pointed a gun at his passenger, the only other occupant in the car.
The driver failed to follow commands from law enforcement officers, and “due to his actions, multiple law enforcement officers from the Alaska State Troopers and Fairbanks Police Department fired their duty weapons at the driver, fatally wounding him,” the statement said.
The Alaska Bureau of Investigation will investigate the incident. Their findings will be reviewed by the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions.
The names of officers who fired their weapons will be released in three days.
