Jim Cockrell, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Public Safety, speaks in Wasilla at a May 3, 2022, news conference. Cockrell has ordered an investigation after troopers mistakenly took a school principal into custody for a mental health exam. (Photo by Yereth Rosen / Alaska Beacon)

Jim Cockrell, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Public Safety, speaks in Wasilla at a May 3, 2022, news conference. Cockrell has ordered an investigation after troopers mistakenly took a school principal into custody for a mental health exam. (Photo by Yereth Rosen / Alaska Beacon)

Troopers, misled by false court order, detained principal for mental health check

State troopers mistakenly took Alaska’s 2022 Principal of the Year into custody…

An earlier version of this article misidentified Mary Fulp as principal of Colony Middle School. She is principal of Colony High School.

State troopers mistakenly took Alaska’s 2022 Principal of the Year into custody for a mental health examination last week after a family member presented troopers with a document they said was signed by a state judge.

That wasn’t true, and Troopers and the Alaska Court System confirmed the mistake Tuesday, six days after Colony High School Principal Mary Fulp posted a video of the incident and claimed that she was being detained because of her religious beliefs.

James Cockrell, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Public Safety, has ordered a full internal review of the incident, the department said.

“Based on the limited information we have been able to learn about this incident from the Alaska Court System it appears that we made a mistake by transporting the adult female for an evaluation. Our staff should have taken additional steps to verify the information presented by the complainant and the validity of the court order,” Cockrell said in a written statement. “We take full responsibility for this and want to assure the public that we are taking necessary steps to ensure that incidents like this never happen again. This type of situation is unacceptable, and you have my commitment that we will do better.”

After Anchorage’s KTUU-TV published a story about the video, Rep. David Eastman, R-Wasilla, and Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, spoke in the state Legislature about the issue.

“The court did not issue any order to take Ms. Fulp into custody, or to detain her, or to have her undergo a hospitalization for any reason,” said Rebecca Koford, a spokesperson for the court system, in a Tuesday email responding to the KTUU story. “The actions by law enforcement in this instance were not undertaken or carried out pursuant to or as a result of any court order.”

Hours later, the Alaska State Troopers issued a written account of events on Jan. 18 that saw Fulp escorted to a Matanuska-Susitna Borough hospital for a mental health evaluation.

According to their account, troopers received a call Wednesday morning, requesting a welfare check on Fulp.

State law permits police and mental health experts to hold someone involuntarily if they are “likely to cause serious harm to self or others” immediately.

Troopers responded and determined that she didn’t meet the conditions for emergency mental health custody. Hours later, a second caller said they had a written order from a judge agreeing that Fulp should be taken into custody in order to have her mental health evaluated.

“Troopers observed that the document appeared to be signed by a judge and appeared to be valid,” the official account states.

On Friday, the Beacon, citing a tip that claimed the order was false, requested copies of the court order and was informed that state law holds those records confidential and the request “will likely be denied.”

According to the Troopers’ account, “On Friday, January 20, 2023, it was brought to the attention of the Alaska Department of Public Safety that the documents … presented to Troopers may not have been a court order authorizing the involuntary commitment of the adult female. DPS Commissioner Cockrell ordered a full review of the incident.”

The court system denied the Troopers’ request to examine the documents associated with the incident, but the court system’s statement on Tuesday confirmed the mistake.

“With this new information Troopers now believe that the document that was presented to Troopers … was not a valid court order for involuntary commitment,” the Troopers said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety declined to say whether the family member deliberately falsified documents or whether the mistake was innocent error. The spokesperson also declined to say whether charges are pending.

• James Brooks is a longtime Alaska reporter, having previously worked at the Anchorage Daily News, Juneau Empire, Kodiak Mirror and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. This article originally appeared online at alaskabeacon.com. Alaska Beacon, an affiliate of States Newsroom, is an independent, nonpartisan news organization focused on connecting Alaskans to their state government.

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of Nov. 10

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

A map shows Alaska had the largest increase in drug overdose deaths among the five states reporting increases during the 12-month period ending in June. Overdoses nationally declined for a second straight year. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map)
Drug overdose deaths in Alaska jump 38.68% in a year as nationwide rate drops 14%

National experts see hope in second annual decline as Alaska officials worry about ongoing crisis.

Students arrive at Thunder Mountain Middle School on the first day of school Thursday, Aug. 15. The school now houses all students in grades 7-8, who were in two middle schools last year, and the students at Thunder Mountain last year when it was a high school have been consolidated into Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)
Report: 11 high school fights during first quarter of school year, up from 3 each of past two years

Consolidation seen as possible factor; middle school incidents more typical compared to recent years

People gather outside Resurrection Lutheran Church as it hosts its weekly food pantry on Tuesday afternoon. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Resurrection Lutheran Church leadership dispute intensifies with accusations of assault, theft, sabotage

Pastor removed, lawsuit lingers as competing groups try to continue worship services, food pantry.

Nick Begich, center, the Republican candidate for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat, talks with supporters during a meet-and-greet Oct. 12 at the Southeast Alaska Real Estate office near the Nugget Mall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Updated vote counts show Begich, repeal of ranked choice voting likely to prevail

Most ballots uncounted on Election Day have now been tallied, with final results due Nov. 20.

Letters of support are posted to the window of the Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, following a shooting incident on Monday, Nov. 11 at 5:45 a.m. in Homer. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Man arrested for three shooting incidents at reproductive clinic, recovery organization in Homer

Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic was targeted twice Monday, suspect cites “religious beliefs.”

A sign welcomes visitors to Hoonah on Aug. 7, 2021 just outside the Icy Strait cruise ship port. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
State commission approves new Xunaa Borough government in northern Southeast Alaska

Area would include Hoonah and much of Glacier Bay National Park, exclude three nearby small towns.

Juneau Assembly Member Ella Adkison (center) helps state Sen. Jesse Kiehl load donated groceries into a van on Saturday during a food drive at Super Bear IGA Supermarket hosted by the Juneau Central Labor Council. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Nonprofits say need is high as collections for annual Thanksgiving events approach

Food bank, other agencies say number of people seeking help is rising due to cost, other factors.

Most Read