Crime & Courts

Juneau police officers are still trying to deal with being fired upon, apparently by someone that they worked with for years.

Troy Wilson, 45, is being charged with fifteen felonies, including four counts of attempted murder and seven counts of assault for shooting at specific officers. The officers named in the indictment as those that Wilson allegedly targeted include patrol officers, sargeants or patrol supervisors, an investigator, and at least one narcotics officer. They were among the officers who responded to the scene at Wilson’s home on Black Wolf Way on Saturday, April 7th. Wilson was allegedly intoxicated and suicidal, armed with at least two handguns and one high-powered rifle, and equipped with a bulletproof vest and night vision.

As many as 75 rounds were fired at officers with bullets impacting trees, a mailbox, at least two vehicles, and at least one nearby home. Residents were asked to evacuate the area. No one was hurt.

Cindi Brown-Mills, a Juneau Police Department spokesman, said it’s hard for employees right now.

“We’ve had a critical incident stress management debriefings, a couple of them. We’ve had some volunteer counselors as well as chaplains and folks in the building. A lot of outpouring of concern from the community and support which has been really wonderful,” she said.

Responding officers did not return fire. As for containment of an alleged assailant and negotiating for potential surrender versus perhaps an attempted assault on Wilson’s home, Brown-Mills says she won’t comment on officers’ tactics that night.

But she did say that they could not have had a better outcome. She says everyone either was safe or went home at the end of the night, and officers were very professional.

“I’ve never been prouder of the people that I work with then (after) watching the outcome of that incident and how professional they were, and how well they handled themselves,” said Brown-Mills. They did an excellent job and they did exactly what they were trained to do. I am honored to serve with them.”

Wilson started as Juneau police officer in September of 1994 and was eventually promoted to sergeant and then lieutenant. He was assigned to the communications division and then the special operations division, which included working as SWAT commander and instructor.

Brown-Mills declined to comment about any stated reasons for Wilson’s departure this past December, saying it’s a personnel-related matter that she can not disclose. She did say that Wilson submitted a resignation, likely giving the required thirty-days notice.

When pressed about apparent health issues possibly related to Wilson’s departure, Brown-Mills says that information was earlier released in error and she cannot comment on it any further.

The investigation into the shooting and standoff continues. Wilson already appeared in court last Sunday, April 8th and Tuesday, April 10th. His next appearance is set for April 20th.

Wilson has not yet entered a plea in the case.

State health officials are investigating three suspected cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning, or PSP, in Juneau this week.

One man went to the hospital Tuesday complaining of PSP symptoms after eating razor clams harvested from Admiralty Island. Then today (Thursday), a couple showed up at the hospital with symptoms after eating butter clams harvested from either Lincoln Island or Ralston Island.

All of the suspected shellfish was gathered Easter weekend, according to State Epidemiologist Joe McLaughlin.

“Fortunately, all of the people who developed signs and symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning are recovering,” McLaughlin says. “But the big thing I just want to just underscore is that paralytic shellfish poisoning is a potentially fatal neuro-paralytic illness. And there can be enough toxin in one shellfish to kill a person.”

Early symptoms of PSP include tingling of the lips and tongue, which can progress to the fingers and toes. That’s followed by loss of control of the arms and legs, followed by difficulty breathing. Death can result in as little as two hours.

McLaughlin says if you think you’re experiencing PSP symptoms, don’t wait – go to the hospital immediately.

“As that toxin continues to get absorbed from the stomach and the intestines, the symptoms can actually progress,” he says. “And so, health care providers will typically monitor the patients and if symptoms do progress they’ll hospitalize them. And certainly if they progress to involve the muscles of respiration, making it difficult for the person to breathe, then they may have to put the person on a mechanical ventilator.”

McLaughlin says he sees PSP cases year round, and stresses that there’s no safe time to eat shellfish harvested from recreational beaches. He also says cooking, cleaning or freezing shellfish will not get rid of PSP.

Commercially harvested shellfish in Alaska is tested regularly for PSP and considered safe.

McLaughlin says it will take about a week to test the shellfish that sparked the three suspected cases in Juneau to confirm that they were caused by PSP.

Two Coast Guardsmen at the Kodiak Base Communications Station are confirmed dead after a shooting there Thursday morning.

Base Support Unit Captain Jesse Moore says the suspect in the shooting may still be at large, and he advises all Kodiak residents to keep an eye out for suspicious activity.

Moore says base personnel are deeply saddened by the loss of two shipmates.

State, local, and federal law enforcement authorities are working with the military police to investigate the shootings.

The names of the deceased have not been released pending notification of next of kin.

The base and Petersen Elementary School are on lock down until further notice.

Governor Sean Parnell and several legislators took part in a rally in Juneau yesterday (Wednesday), demanding justice for the late U.S. Senator Ted Stevens.

The organizers want federal prosecutors held accountable for cutting corners in order to convict Stevens of ethics violations in 2008.

KTOO’s Casey Kelly was there, and has this report.

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Lawmakers from all political parties crowded onto the Capitol steps, while about a hundred protesters stood on the sidewalk across the street. Many held signs or wore stickers saying “Justice for Ted.”

Rally organizer Ken Koelsch – a retired Juneau Douglas High School teacher – recalled working as a campaign volunteer for Stevens.

“The Juneau steering committee gathered more frequently in an election year. But if Ted was in town to address the Legislature or to talk to Juneau constituents, he would make sure he gathered us all together for a meal and conversation,” Koelsch said. “Friendship and respect for Senator Stevens runs deep in the community of Juneau.”

In 2008, a federal jury convicted Stevens of making false statements on financial disclosure forms, just days before the longest serving Republican in Senate history lost his race for re-election. Less than a year later, the conviction was voided and the indictment dismissed after the U.S. Justice Department uncovered prosecutorial misconduct.

Stevens died in a plane crash in August 2010.

Sally Smith works in the Juneau office of Senator Mark Begich, who defeated Stevens in the 2008 election. Smith read a statement praising Stevens’ legacy and decrying the circumstances of his conviction.

“There is no question that Senator Stevens’ legacy of accomplishment for our state is enormous,” Smith said. “So, it is especially troubling that a person of his stature didn’t get a fair hearing in our criminal justice system.”

Begich is co-sponsor of a bill introduced by Alaska’s other Senator, Lisa Murkowski, called the Fairness in Disclosure of Evidence Act of 2012. It would require prosecutors to turn over evidence that could help the defense – something the prosecution in Stevens’ case failed to do.

Governor Sean Parnell – wearing an Incredible Hulk tie like the one favored by Stevens – all but blamed the government lawyers’ wrongdoing for Stevens losing his seat in the Senate.

“Our beloved Senator was indicted, he was tried, convicted and removed from the Senate under conditions that no one in our country should or will accept,” said Parnell.

Juneau Representative Cathy Munoz said Stevens always worked in the best interests of Alaskans, and now it is time for Alaskans to work for him.

“Thank you all for being here today to support Ted Stevens, to recognize his incredible legacy, and to hold federal prosecutors accountable,” said Munoz. “Justice must be done.”

As the rally broke up, organizer Ken Koelsch said justice in this case would mean holding the prosecutors accountable.

“We want to hold our public officials to public trust. We should hold people that are non-elected in those positions to the same public trust,” Koelsch said. “And so, if there’s an abuse on either side, justice should be done, and it hasn’t been so far.”

Another rally demanding justice for Ted Stevens was held last week in Anchorage.

A 500-page report on the botched prosecution by an independent investigator found widespread concealment of evidence, but did not recommend charges against the prosecutors.

Kenneth Nalan has been acquitted of assault.

After only an hour-and-a-half of deliberations on Wednesday, the jury returned with a ‘not guilty’ verdict.

Nalan’s friends and family broke down in relief when the verdict was read by the jury foreman.

Nalan was charged with first degree assault in connection with the shooting of John Duran on December 20, 2011. Nalan took the stand in his own defense to tell how he saw Duran approaching with the gun and reached for it. He says the revolver went off as he grabbed it and twisted it around out of Duran’s hands.

Duran said he was essentially facing a different direction and playing guitar as Nalan entered the bedroom and shot him.

Outside the courtroom, an emotional Nalan really only had a two-word comment for reporters.

“Just… thank God,” he said.

His wife Angela essentially echoed that comment.

“Thank God that they saw the evidence for what it was,” she said.

Nalan’s children were allowed into the courtroom only after the verdict was announced.

Jurors say their deliberations of an hour-and-a-half included lunch.

One juror, who preferred not to have his name published or broadcast, pointed to a lack of evidence and plenty of reasonable doubt.

“We all came to the same conclusion about whether the state had enough evidence to follow through with the charge that they charged Mr. Nalan on,” he said.

In this case, victim John Duran and friend John Day were really too drunk to remember what really happened. That’s based on stipulated evidence of blood alcohol content from blood drawn from the 269-pound Duran that night which indicated over twice the legal definition of intoxication. There was also Day’s own admission about being blackout drunk.

Another juror, who also preferred not to be publicly identified, also questioned the credibility of the prosecution’s main witnesses. Among other things, she noted witness Day’s changing recollections whenever victim Duran was in the courtroom. She also says she sensed an early consensus amongst the jury despite a concerted effort by everyone to play devil’s advocate and draw out some debate.

“It seemed there was no evidence that (Nalan) was reckless,” another juror said as part of an interview afterward.

Coincidentally, Nalan’s family and friends walked down the street behind the courthouse just as the few jurors just discharged from the building remained to talk to reporters. Still quite emotional, the Nalan group gave the remaining jurors a hug and said “thank you.”

Jury selection in the trial started April 2nd with jurors eventually hearing over six-days of evidence and arguments.

(Updated 4-12-12 to reflect correction to original script regarding trial start date.)

Three additional attempted murder charges have been filed against a former Juneau police officer who allegedly fired on his colleagues.

Troy A. Wilson, 45, also faces three additional charges of assault. All are for the alleged targeting of his former co-workers who responded to his home on Black Wolf Way on Saturday night.

Another charge of weapons misconduct is for allegedly firing a weapon in the direction of a nearby home where bullets were later recovered.

That makes fifteen felony charges total filed against Wilson. He was previously charged with eight felonies on Sunday, including one count of attempted murder for allegedly shooting at an officer positioned in the trees behind his house.

Because of the additional charges, District Attorney Dave Brower successfully argued for a third-party custodian and increasing Wilson’s bail to $1,000,000. That’s half performance bond and half appearance bond.

“The allegations are extremely serious and the statements made are extremely serious,” said Brower.

Wilson’s bail was previously set on Sunday at $500,000 cash.

Wilson kept his head down during most of the hearing in Juneau District Court on Tuesday afternoon. He did not say anything on the record to the court.

“We would waive further reading and advisement,” said defense attorney Julie Willoughby. “I’ve spoken to Mr. Wilson about his rights. He understands them.”

A preliminary hearing has been set for April 20th in Juneau District Court unless the grand jury returns with an indictment before then.

Haines Magistrate John Hutchins says Wilson is prohibited from contacting any of the officers he allegedly threatened or contacting his wife. He is also prohibited from initiating contact with any other member of the Juneau Police Department, but an exception was made for any former colleagues who initiate the contact themselves for a possible visit.

An amended affidavit by prosecutors includes alleged threats made against a crisis negotiator and three of the department’s top officers. Wilson allegedly said that he would hunt them down and kill them.

Wilson rose to the rank of lieutenant during his over 15-year career at the Juneau Police Department. He left that job in December. His many duties included special investigations, SWAT instructor, and as a school resource officer at a high school and elementary schools.

He was recently working as a juvenile probation officer for the state.