New York Trooper History
Police Work
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Alaska Peace Officer Honor Roll
This memorial may not be complete in the early years - if you know of any peace officers who have died as a result of their duties in Alaska,
please write, with as much detail as possible on the officer and event.
The officers are listed in the chronological order of the dates of death.
They Gave Their Lives While Serving Alaska
- Trooper Sergeant Patrick "Scott" Johnson
- Alaska State Troopers
- May 1, 2014: shot in Tanana while attempting an arrest, by the man's 19-year-old son. A photo and more information can be seen here
- Trooper Gabriel "Gabe" Rich
- Alaska State Troopers
- May 1, 2014: shot in Tanana while attempting an arrest, by the man's 19-year-old son. A photo and more information can be seen here
- Trooper Melvin "Mel" Nading
- Alaska State Troopers
- March 30, 2013: killed in the crash of Helo-1 while returning from the successful rescue of a stranded snowmobiler near Talkeetna. Trooper Nading was the pilot. More information about Mel Nading here and about the crash here.
- Trooper Tage B. Toll
- Alaska State Troopers
- March 30, 2013: killed in the crash of Helo-1 while returning from the successful rescue of a stranded snowmobiler near Talkeetna. Trooper Toll was on board as the spotter. More information about Tage Toll here and about the crash here.
- Sergeant Anthony Michael "Tony" Wallace
- Hoonah Police Department
- August 29, 2010: shot in an ambush on Front Street in downtown Hoonah on August 28th. Officer Matt Tokuoka was also shot and killed when he came to Wallace's aid. More information here.
- Officer Matthew Dean "Matt" Tokuoka
- Hoonah Police Department
- August 29, 2010: shot on Front Street in downtown Hoonah on August 28th when he came to the aid of Corporal Tony Wallace.
- Officer Charles F. 'Chuck' Collins II
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- July 11, 2010: killed when his truck rolled down a 300-foot slope into O’Brien Creek during a storm, while traveling the Taylor Highway from Eagle.
- Officer John Patrick Watson
- Kenai Police Department
- December 25, 2003: shot and killed after locating a vehicle that was wanted by the Alaska State Troopers. When Officer Watson located the vehicle at a house, a
struggle ensued with the male owner and Officer Watson was shot with his own service handgun. More information here.
- Correctional Officer James C. "Jamie" Hesterberg
- Alaska Department of Corrections
- November 18, 2002: killed in an automobile accident that occurred while he and another officer were transporting prisoners to Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward. Four prisoners also died. More information here.
- Trooper Hans-Peter Lothar Roelle
- Alaska State Troopers
- November 24, 2001: shot in Wasilla while investigating a domestic dispute. The killer then shot his two children and committed suicide. More information
here.
- Officer Justin T. Wollam
- Anchorage Police Department
- July 9, 2001: killed in a head-on collision on the Glenn Highway while responding to a call regarding a vehicle driving erratically. More information
here.
- Trooper James Arthur Moen
- Alaska State Troopers Fish & Wildlife Protection
- June 29, 2001: died in plane crash near Illiamna. More information
here.
- Officer James Arland Rowland Jr.
- Palmer Police Department
- May 15, 1999: shot while investigating a man slumped over the wheel in the parking lot of the Carrs grocery store in Palmer.
- Sergeant David Calvin Churchill
- Alaska Fish & Wildlife Protection
- September 16, 1998: died of a heart attack while approaching hunters in the field.
- Officer John Kevin Lamm
- Fairbanks Police Department
- January 1, 1998: shot with an AR-15 when he and two fellow officers
went to check on a man who was thought to be suicidal.
- Trooper Bruce Allen Heck
- Alaska State Troopers
- January 10, 1997: killed at Glenallen while attempting to make an arrest. In September 1999, a 61-mile stretch of the Glenn Highway was named the Trooper Bruce Heck Memorial Corridor; a memorial was erected at Mile 128, Eureka Summit.
- Officer Dan Richard Seely
- Anchorage Police Department
- October 26, 1996: shot at Chugiak while serving a domestic violence warrant. The murderer then killed his two children, wounded his wife, and committed suicide.
- Sergeant Robert Lee Bittick
- Alaska State Troopers
- October 11, 1994: killed when the Grumman Goose he was flying crashed north of Haines.
- Deputy Commissioner Claude Everett "Swack" Swackhammer
- Department of Public Safety
- October 11, 1994: killed when the Grumman Goose he was in crashed north of Haines.
- Officer Karl William Reishus
- Juneau Police Department
- May 4, 1992: killed in a fall during a training exercise on mountain rescue techniques.
- Officer Anthony Crawford Jones
- Dillingham Police Department
- February 12, 1992: shot while responding to a "shots fired" report.
- Officer Louie Gordon Mizelle
- Anchorage Police Department
- June 6, 1989: shot from ambush after volunteering to respond to a "shots fired" report.
- Officer Ronald Eugene Zimin
- South Naknek Public Safety Department
- October 22, 1986: shot from ambush while investigating a complaint.
- Officer Harry Biddington Hanson
- Anchorage Police Department
- July 17, 1986: shot while attempting to apprehend a fugitive.
- Officer Ignatius John Charlie
- Alakanuk Police Department
- May 10, 1985: shot after encountering two men who had just robbed a store.
- Officer David Cameron Harris
- Fort Richardson Military Police
- July 23, 1984: killed when a piece of steel hit his car as he was enroute to classes.
- Trooper Troy Lynn Duncan
- Alaska State Troopers
- May 19, 1984: shot near Manley Hot Springs while engaged in a manhunt by helicopter.
- Officer Gordon Brewster Bartel
- Kodiak Police Department
- January 15, 1983: shot and killed by a man he was citing for illegal camping in downtown
Kodiak. Officer Bartel was 29 years old and had been with the Kodiak Police Department for two years.
- Officer John David Stimson
- Fish & Wildlife Protection Agency
- January 14, 1983: killed in a helicopter crash near Cordova while on a search-and-rescue mission, attempting to reach a downed pilot in a blizzard. Stimson survived and assisted pilot Gary Wiltrout, who had suffered a broken back, but by the time rescuers reached the crash site 24 hours later, Stimson had died of exposure.
- Trooper Roland Edgar "Skip" Chevalier, Jr.
- Alaska State Troopers
- April 3, 1982: shot at Cleary Summit, near Fairbanks while responding to a disturbance.
- Officer Harry Edward Kier
- Anchorage Police Department
- October 28, 1980: killed in a car crash while responding to a serious fire.
- Officer Richard James Adair
- Juneau Police Department
- March 17, 1979: shot while responding to a shooting incident.
- Officer Jimmy Earl Kennedy
- Juneau Police Department
- March 17, 1979: shot while responding to a shooting incident.
- Officer Jonathan Paul Flora
- Anchorage Police Department
- September 8, 1975: shot while responding to a drug-related burglary report.
- Officer Larry Robert Carr
- Alaska State Troopers
- December 11, 1974: killed in the crash of a commercial aircraft near Kodiak.
- Officer Frank Stuart Rodman
- Alaska State Troopers
- December 11, 1974: killed in the crash of a commercial aircraft near Kodiak.
- Officer Earl Ray Hoggard
- Ketchikan Police Department
- March 30, 1974: shot while responding to a disturbance.
- Trooper Dennis Finbar Cronin
- Alaska State Troopers
- February 18, 1974: shot at Hillside, Anchorage during a narcotics investigation.
- Officer Thomas Charles Dillon
- Bethel Police Department
- November 19, 1972: shot while responding to a "shots fired" report at a taxi company.
- Officer Benjamin Franklin Strong
- Anchorage Police Department
- January 4, 1968: shot during a liquor store robbery while on a stake-out that he had volunteered for.
- Officer Kenneth Grant Nauska
- Craig Police Department
- January 30, 1966: shot from ambush while responding to a burglary.
- Officer Donald Thomas Dull
- Juneau Police Department
- October 19, 1964: killed by an accidental gunshot.
- Officer Gary George Wohfiel
- Department of Fish & Game
- March 5, 1964: killed in an aircraft crash near McGrath while conducting a caribou survey.
- Officer Leroy Garvin Bohuslov
- Department of Fish & Game
- March 5, 1964: killed in an aircraft crash near McGrath while conducting a caribou survey.
- Officer Doris Wayne Barber
- Sitka Police Department
- July 28, 1960: shot while serving a warrant.
- Clarence Joseph Rhode
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- August 21, 1958
- Clarence E. "Jack" Toone
- Deputy U.S. Marshal
- February 10, 1955: killed in airplane crash 40 miles northeast of Dillingham.
- George Bothwell Kelez
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- September 1, 1954: killed in a plane crash during a patrol 325 miles northeast of Fairbanks. His body wasn’t recovered until 1979.
- Stanley Stewart Fredericksen
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- September 1, 1954: killed in a plane crash during a patrol 325 miles northeast of Fairbanks. His body wasn’t recovered until 1979.
- Edwin H. Sherman
- Deputy U.S. Marshal
- April 21, 1930: shot and killed at Haines by Jim Watson, a local Indian, while attempting to arrest him for attempted murder. Watson then committed suicide. Sherman was 70 years old at the time.
- James E. "Jimmy" Hill
- U.S. Marshal's Service
- October 30, 1924: shot and killed by William Miller while searching for bootleg liquor near Seldovia. Miller then committed suicide.
- Chief of Police Harry C. Kavanaugh
- Anchorage City Police Department
- January 2, 1924: shot while attempting to arrest a drunk in Anchorage - died January 3.
- J. L. Anders
- U.S. Marshal's Service
- September 9, 1921: shot and killed at Hot Springs while attempting to serve a peace warrant on farmer Sam Cote, who was killed by a posse later that day.
- Chief of Police John J. Sturgus
- Anchorage City Police Department
- February 20, 1921: killed with his own gun, six weeks after formation of the one-man Department. Despite a $1,950 reward, the murderer was never caught.
- Deputy United States Marshal Isaac Evans
- September 3, 1919: shot in Seward while attempting to arrest William Dempsey, who had murdered a prostitute in Anchorage. Dempsey was sentenced to life in prison, but escaped in 1940 and was never re-captured.
- Clyde D. Calhoun
- U.S. Marshal's Service
- February 12, 1919
- John Fraser Pugh
- U.S. Customs
- October 25, 1918: one of 343 people killed when the steamship Princess Sohia sank after hitting Vanderbilt Reef in Lynn Canal.
- Seward Night Patrolman Charles H. Wiley
- October 4, 1917: died two days after being shot in a Seward hotel room during an investigation. Wiley shot and killed his assailant.
- Chief of Police Alvin Miller
- Fairbanks Police Department
- November 2, 1908: responded to a mentally disturbed woman in a local hotel. She shot him when he tried to contact her and he
subsequently died from the gunshot wound.
- James Mark Rowan
- Deputy United States Marshal
- February 1, 1898 (possibly January 31st): shot in a Skagway theatre while attempting to resolve a dispute.
- The story of the shooting is online in Forgotten Heroes: Police Officers Killed in Alaska, 1850-1997 by William Wilbanks.
- See his new grave marker in the Gold Rush Cemetery at Skagway here.
- William Watts
- Deputy United States Marshal
- September 1, 1897: shot while attempting an arrest on Admiralty Island.
This memorial was initially assembled with the support of Judith Zundel at the
Fraternal Order of Alaska State Troopers, based largely on research coordinated by Chaplain Bert McQueen of the Alaska Police Chaplain Ministries.
Revised with additional information from Dr. William Wilbanks and Patrick Hames (Corporal, Alaska State Troopers, retired) - thank you all!
Law Enforcement in Alaska, 1867-1997
Peace Officer Honour Roll - Yukon
1896 Annual Report, North-West Mounted Police, Yukon Detachment
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