Alaska State Troopers identified the man North Slope Borough police shot and killed in Utqiagvik on Saturday as Gordon Killbear Jr., 46.
Two officers with the North Slope Borough Police Department, Sergeant Riley Weik and Officer Christopher Green, responded to a domestic violence call on Herman Street, a block away from the Top of the World Hotel, at around 4 p.m., troopers said in a statement. They said Killbear came out of the residence with a knife and both officers shot him with their handguns.
Killbear, an Utqiagvik resident, was transported to the hospital but died from injuries, troopers said. They said Killbear’s next of kin have been notified, and his body is at the State Medical Examiner's Office.
Troopers said one of the officers sustained a minor knife wound during the incident but did not say which officer or how he was injured.
The Alaska Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident, troopers said. Once their investigation is complete, it will be reviewed by the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions.
North Slope Borough spokeswoman Angela Cox said in a text message that the officers were placed on investigative leave. She said local police have turned the body camera footage over to the troopers for their investigation.
“We recognize that incidents like this deeply affect families, neighbors, first responders, and the broader community,” North Slope Borough officials said in a press release “We ask for patience as investigators work to determine the facts surrounding this incident.”
