JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) – A 35-year-old homeless man, Steven Kissack, was shot and killed by law enforcement in Juneau on Monday after he refused to drop a knife, according to a Department of Public Safety (DPS) report.
The incident occurred at 1:11 p.m. when Juneau Police Department (JPD) officers were following up on an assault reported the previous day. Kissack, who was well-known to local residents, was contacted by the officers during their investigation.
Upon being approached, Kissack produced a knife and ignored multiple requests from officers to drop it, DPS stated. The situation escalated, prompting JPD officers to request additional support from their department and an Alaska Wildlife Trooper. Negotiations continued for several minutes, during which officers fired bean bag rounds at Kissack in an attempt to subdue him. Despite these efforts, Kissack did not relinquish the knife.
Kissack then charged at the officers, leading them to open fire, resulting in his death.
A bystander, Antonio “Boxer” Gamez Escalante, captured the moments before the shooting on his cell phone, including audio of the fatal shots. Gamez Escalante described the scene, noting that he initially saw a police car speeding into the street and blocking it near the Crystal Saloon. He witnessed officers aiming their guns at Kissack, who was yelling and refusing to comply.
“I saw a cop car going really fast into a street and then blocking it completely,” Gamez Escalante recounted. “The officers had their guns drawn. At first, I thought they would use the sandbag gun to subdue him. The deceased kept screaming, saying he had to do it.”
The use of lethal force by the officers surprised Gamez Escalante. “It really caught me off guard. I was more surprised than scared. It was only when I saw the guy fall down that I realized they had actually shot him.”
Officers and emergency medical personnel on the scene attempted to revive Kissack but were unsuccessful. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital. No officers were injured during the incident.
Following standard protocol, the officers and the trooper who discharged their weapons have been placed on leave. The name of the Alaska Wildlife Trooper involved will be released after three days, in line with DPS policy.
The Alaska Bureau of Investigation will conduct a thorough review of the incident, with findings to be evaluated by the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions.
Kissack’s next of kin have been notified, and his body will be sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage for an autopsy.