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Alaska State Troopers, Judges & Law Enforcement

"The police must obey the law while enforcing the law."
- U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren (1891-1974) -

2/23/14 -The former commander of the Alaska State Trooper detachment based in Fairbanks was arrested Friday on charges of sexually abusing a minor over a period of several years. Former Capt. Warren Tanner, 75, was arrested Friday afternoon in North Pole by troopers and U.S. Marshals.
12/14/13 - Alaska wildlife trooper with traps on private land sued for trespass. The Alaska Police Standards Council voted to revoke state certification for five law enforcement officers and accepted the surrendered certification of four others at its Dec. 3 meeting in Anchorage. (ADN - Zaz Hollander)
12/9/13 - State revokes police certification for five, accepts surrendered certification of four others - Casey Grove ADN
5/19/13 - Panel will hear misconduct allegations against Alaska police officers - A state commission will meet behind closed doors Tuesday in Kenai to decide whether a number of former police officers, troopers and corrections officers should lose their right to wear a badge in Alaska. - Kyle Hopkins ADN
1/18/13 - In early April 2012 the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct (Commission) referred to us its unanimous recommendation for removal of Judge Dennis Cummings, a district court judge in Bethel.
4/13/12 - Rollins Sentenced to 87 Years in Prison - An Anchorage Superior Court judge on Friday sentenced disgraced police officer and convicted serial rapist Anthony Rollins to serve 87 years in prison.
1/16/12 - How Alaska wildlife manager Corey Rossi was charged with illegal hunting. Someone in a trio of Outside men that former Alaska Division of Wildlife Conservation director Corey Rossi took on a bear hunt on the north side of Cook Inlet in 2008 is now in trouble with the law. - Craig Medred
8/11/11 - Alaska State Trooper Charged With DUI - See why it took two months to charge the trooper with driving under the influence. Police say he had an alcohol level more than five times the legal limit. - Alexis Fernandez KTVA
9/16/11 - Rollins Sentencing Set - A Superior Court judge has set former police officer Anthony Rollins sentencing date for December 2nd; Rollins was found guilty of 18 criminal convictions.
6-7-11 - Trooper charged with DUI in unmarked state vehicleAn Alaska state trooper has been charged with drunken driving nearly two months after police say he drove a state-owned SUV into two vehicles in Eagle River, court records show.
2/24/11 - Former cop convicted Tuesday faces 51 to 208 years in state prison. An ex-Anchorage police officer convicted Tuesday of sexually assaulting five women in 2008 and 2009 was earlier investigated on suspicion he was having sex on the job, the police chief said Wednesday. - Casey Grove ADN

SIX WOMEN: Ten counts include alleged attacks over three years; support agency first alerted police. -
2/23/11 - Former Anchorage police officer Anthony Rollins left court in handcuffs following his conviction Tuesday for four rapes while in uniform and on duty in 2008 and 2009. - Casey Grove ADN
2/5/11 - Ex-trooper: Town's police chief said he lied in first Waterman trial. A retired police officer testified for the defense Friday in the trial of a woman accused of telling two men to murder her mother, saying another officer working on the initial investigation broke procedure and told her he lied under oath during the accused woman's first trial. - Casey Grove ADN
1/29/11 - Ex-trooper loses job at Fairbanks courthouse; firing is alcohol related. FAIRBANKS — A retired Alaska State Trooper from Fairbanks with a history of alcohol-related arrests was fired from his job as a security guard at the Fairbanks federal courthouse last month for allegedly drinking at a bar before his shift.
10/6/10 - Airport police investigate officer charged in prostitution sting - Airport police are conducting an internal investigation of one of the department's officers, whom Anchorage police cited in July for soliciting prostitution, according to airport Chief of Police Lauri Burkmire.
2/9/11 - Motion to suppress evidence in Lloyd DUI case is common action - The attorney defending former Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Denby Lloyd against a drunken driving charge filed a motion to suppress evidence expected to be used by the state against him.
8/10/10 - Fish & Game commissioner pleads not guilty to DUI - Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Denby Lloyd pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence and reckless endangerment charges Monday in District Court.
8/9/10 - Alaska Fish and Game chief arrested on DUI charge - Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Denby Lloyd is accused of driving under the influence.
5/12/10 - Soldotna police officer resigns. Sgt. Tony Garcia resigned from the Soldotna Police Department on Friday. Garcia left the force, in part, because of the negative publicity that followed an allegation against him, he said. By Andrew Waite | Peninsula Clarion.
4/21/10 - Soldotna police officer under investigation. SOLDOTNA, Alaska - An officer in the Soldotna Police Department is being investigated for possible professional misconduct.
4/9/10 - Ex-officer sentenced in porn case - WASILLA - A former Anchorage police officer has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading no contest to attempted possession of child pornography and admitting he violated probation terms in an earlier child porn case.
8/21/09 - Officer gets public defender despite $100,000-plus salary- An Anchorage police officer accused of multiple counts of sexual assault will get a public defender despite his $100,000-a-year salary, at least for now, a Superior Court judge ruled Friday. - ADN Megan Holland.
7/16/09 - Cop pleads not guilty in sex assaults - Rollins' attorney entered not-guilty pleas to 14 felony counts, most involving rape or sexual assault, and to six misdemeanor charges of official misconduct. ADN Don Hunter.
7/15/09 - Anchorage cop sexually assaulted 6 victims, police say - An Anchorage police officer was arrested Wednesday on charges he sexually assaulted six women during a three-year period while on duty. And police say there could be more victims. KTUU.
12/29/09 Jury should hear trooper shooting case, judge says. When Alaska State Trooper Jesse Osborn shot and killed an unarmed man at a Kenai highway pullout nearly seven years ago, was he acting with a legitimate police purpose? That's a question that a jury likely will decide, under a recent ruling by a federal judge.

2/10/06 - State settles lawsuit in trooper shooting - Juneau Empire.
2/16/03 - Alaska State Trooper Arthur Jesse Osborn - Trooper known for history of aggression. Controversy follows officer who killed disabled man at pullout By Lisa Demer Anchorage Daily News

Trooper Shooting - State Fails Duty to Alaskans by keeping facts under wraps.
7/14/09 - Trooper arrested for DUI was also speeding, had weapons - Police say a trooper who was arrested for driving under the influence was also speeding. Troopers are calling it a personnel matter and cannot release the details, but they say 36-year-old Trooper Derek Loop is still on the job. - KTUU.
7/13/09 - Trooper arrested for DUI in Soldotna - An Alaska State Trooper was arrested Sunday for drunken driving and weapons misconduct, according to the state Department of Public Safety and a Soldotna Police Department report.- KTUU.
8/28/08 - Trooper loses job after pleading guilty to felony - An Alaska State Trooper has lost his job following his conviction on a charge that he forged prescriptions to get narcotic painkillers, troopers said Wednesday. Anchorage Daily News Published: August 28th, 2008 12:49 AM.

8/27/08 - Trooper gets suspended sentencing after plea - A former Alaska State Trooper has received a suspended sentence after being charged with forging prescriptions for narcotic pain medications. - The Associated Press Published: August 27th, 2008.

8/22/08 - Trooper charged with forging prescriptions - Authorities say a Fairbanks-based Alaska State Trooper has been charged with forging prescriptions for narcotic pain medications. The Associated Press - Published: August 22nd, 2008 01:08 PM
7/29/08 - Hunting Laws Need Apply to All, Even Troopers - Craig Medred - Outdoors ADN.
7/27/08 Is Wooten a good trooper? - Palin's Ex Brother-in-law: Union says yes, but investigation found serious concerns. He's the governor's ex-brother-in-law, and his job as an Alaska State Trooper is drawing scrutiny in a way rarely seen except in cases of killings by officers. By Lisa Demer - ADN.
PDF: Complaint memo against Wooten, 4/11/05

PDF: Troopers warning to Wooten re DV complaint, 4/12/05

PDF: Transcript of interview with Sarah Palin and state troopers, 05/02/2005

PDF: State trooper notes on interview with Sarah Palin, 08/08/2005

PDF: State trooper notes on interview with Sarah Palin, 05/02/2005

PDF: State trooper notes on interview with Todd Palin 08/08/2005

PDF: Transcript of troopers interview with Wooten, 9/14/05

PDF: E-mail from Chuck Heath to troopers re Wooten, 10/11/05

PDF: Troopers memo of findings on Wooten, 10/29/05

PDF: E-mail from Palin to Alaska State Troopers regarding Wooten 8/10/05

PDF: Document with backup information for troopers findings in investigation

PDF: Grimes memo overturning some of 10/29/05 findings

PDF: Correction/addition to memo of 10/29/05 findings

PDF: Letter from Col. Julia Grimes suspending Wooten, 3/1/06
7/25/08 - Kopp steps down as Public Safety chief - Megan Holland - ADN.
New Public Safety Commissioner Charles Kopp Holds Press Conference
7/19/08 - Monegan Fired - Gov. Sarah Palin fumbled badly with the sudden and clumsy way she fired Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. The 30-year veteran officer and former Anchorage police chief was quite popular in his ranks and said he'd never been told the governor had concerns about his performance.
7/18/08 - Monegan says he was pressured to fire trooper - Former Department of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan on Friday said that since Gov. Sarah Palin took office, members of her administration and family pressured him to fire a Palmer Alaska State Trooper to whom her sister was involved in a bitter child custody battle. - Megan Holland - ADN.
4/28/08 Homer jail guard investigated - Jailer choked suspect, report says; no charges filed - BY MICHAEL ARMSTRONG STAFF WRITER Homer News.
3/28/08 Wasilla police shot and killed a 42-year-old Big Lake man in a shootout Tuesday afternoon near Mile 2.7 of Big Lake Road. Troopers said John R. Rivera, 42, died when Wasilla police returned fire after Rivera shot at them with a hand gun. The names of the officers involved in the shooting are not being released pending further investigation by the Alaska Bureau of Investigation. By MATT TUNSETH/Frontiersman
Published on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 2:21 PM AKDT
7/29/10 Former cop sentenced to time-served for child sex abuse - A former Anchorage police officer convicted of child sexual abuse won't be going back to jail. At his sentencing Thursday, Judge Michael Wolverton of the Anchorage Superior Court said Sammy Cohen completed his jail sentence while waiting for his trial.
3/7/08 Judge grants mistrial for porn case - The trial of Sammy Cohen, a former Anchorage police officer charged with sexually abusing his daughter and possessing child pornography, was called off Thursday. ADN By JULIA O'MALLEY
3/7/08 - Sexual assault trial called off for former police officer (Sammy Cohen): A trial for a former Anchorage police officer accused of sexually abusing a minor and possessing child pornography has been called off. - The Associated Press.
2/27/08 - Wildlife official cited in illegal moose kill - 'MISTAKE': Mike Fleagle turns himself in, pleads no contest. By James Halpin - Published: February 27th, 2008 12:29 AM - Anchorage Daily News
2/23/08 - Natives in Aniak claim troopers use racial profiling - The Associated Press - Published Saturday, February 23, 2008
2/17/08 - Aniak wants [Alaska State] Troopers out (Like living with Big Brother) - February 17, 2008 - Jill Burke - KTUU TV
1/10/08 - Former cop re-arrested on child-porn charge. Bryan N. Herrera, 44, is charged with three counts of possessing child pornography. Investigators found nearly 5,000 images on his computer, according to a police affidavit filed in court. Anchorage Daily News - by James Halpin.
10/18/05 - Anchorage police officer arrested on child porn charges. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A 12-year veteran of the Anchorage Police Department was arraigned today on four felony counts involving child pornography - becoming the second city police officer in the last four months to face such charges. Juneau Daily News.
9/28/07 - Trooper Colonel defends Spitzer - Alaska State Troopers are defending one of their own tonight, saying Eric Spitzer is a good trooper. Spitzer has been named in at least four excessive force civil lawsuits, three of them have resulted in the state settling. The jury sided with Spitzer in the fourth case. By Megan Baldino - Friday, Sept. 28, 2007- KTUU TV

9/27/07 - Reaction to excessive force settlement - Alaska State Trooper Eric Spitzer has repeatedly been accused of excessive force, allegations that have cost the state nearly $700,000. The latest lawsuit was settled yesterday for $575,000. By Megan Baldino Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007 - KTUU
9/26/07 - State Settles Another Lawsuit Over Trooper Excessive Force - ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The State of Alaska has settled a lawsuit today concerning the use of excessive force by Alaska State Trooper Eric Spitzer. An attorney says its the third time the state has had to settle over Spitzer's actions. By Megan Baldino - 9/26/07 - KTUU TV
8/12/07 - Travis Taric Hedlund, age 30 of Soldotna, had assaulted three individuals at the residence. Alcohol was a factor. Hedlund was arrested for three counts of Assault 4th-DV. He was remanded at Wildwood Pretrial and held with no bail pending arraignment. Author: MJW0 Received Tuesday, August 14, 2007 8:14 AM and posted Wednesday, August 15, 2007 1:12 PM. - www.dps.state.ak.us.
11/22/04 - State Trooper arrested after allegedly assaulting his wife - 27 year-old Travis Hedlund, a Trooper with the Alaska Bureau of Wildlife Enforcement in Soldotna, was arrested Saturday without incident according to the Troopers. - KINY Radio Juneau News.
8/10/07- Alaska State Troopers arrested Junior Anthony, age 35 of North Pole, for violation of conditions of release. Alaska State Troopers Press Release.
5/10/07 - A Grand Jury in Fairbanks indicted Junior Anthony, age 35 of North Pole, on two counts of Sexual Assault II following his arrest on 5/5/07. Alaska State Troopers Press Release.

5/7/07 - Trooper charged with sexual assault - A local Alaska State Trooper is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl while he was off-duty. Trooper Junior Anthony, 35, was arraigned Sunday on two charges of second-degree sexual assault. He was arrested at his North Pole home on Saturday. By: Margaret Friedenauer Staff Writer Published 5/7/07 - Fairbanks Daily Miner.

10/31/06 - Former Alaska State Trooper John Patrick Addis - On The Run After Murdering Girlfriend in Nevada, Found Dead In Guatemala. Bad Cop News.com
10/16/06 - State Supreme Court Finds Illegal Search By Fairbanks Alaska Police Wasn’t Justified, Overturns Conviction - Bad Cop News
9/29/06 - Woman Awarded $250K In Excessive Force Lawsuit After North Slope Alaska Police Officer (Now A Detective With Palmer PD) Kelly Turney And Another Assaulted And Choked 16 Year Old Girl, Duct Taping Her Mouth - Bad Cop News
9/15/06 - Crazed Alaska State Trooper Uses Bulldozer To Destroy Man’s Home During Stand-Off - Bad Cop News
8/10/06 - 3rd Arrest for Trooper, Charged Again With Assault - An Alaska state trooper already arrested twice for assaulting a former girlfriend and on administrative leave was arrested a third time Tuesday in Cordova and charged with assaulting another woman at a local bar. Clinton Songer, 30, in the most recent case is accused of pushing his ex-wife to the ground, causing her arm to bruise after she asked him to leave a bar where she was having her birthday party Saturday night. - Daily News reporter Megan Holland can be reached at mrholland@adn.com. posted August 10, 2006.
2/9/06 - Alaska State Trooper Clinton Songer -arrested on domestic violence charges. - Juneau Daily News

7/28/06 - North Pole Alaska Police Officer William Perry Sentenced To Just 6 Months In Prison After Bribery Attempt In Witness Tampering Case
7/1/06 - Man Who Died in Scuffle At Jail was Fighting Cancer, family says - The family of a Fairbanks man who died after suffering a broken neck in a struggle with state correctional officers at an Anchorage jail says the man was frail and battling cancer. Kevin Fitzgerald, an Anchorage lawyer representing the family of Douglas Jensen, said Jensen's family, most of whom are in California, is considering a lawsuit against the state claiming the use of excessive force. By Megan Holland Anchorage Daily News.

4/26/06 - Former North Pole Police Officer Charged with Felonies Related to Witness Tampering and Interference with Official Proceedings. Media Advisory Office of Special Prosecutions & Appeals.
4/18/06 - Former Nome Police Officer Matthew Owens Sentenced to 101 Years In Prison For Killing Teen Girl While On Duty Bad Cop New.
2/10/06 - State settles lawsuit in trooper shooting - Juneau Empire.

2/16/03 - Alaska State Trooper Arthur Jesse Osborn - Trooper known for history of aggression. Controversy follows officer who killed disabled man at pullout By Lisa Demer Anchorage Daily News

Trooper Shooting - State Fails Duty to Alaskans by keeping facts under wraps.
10/20/05 - According to the Associated Press, a 12-year veteran of the Anchorage Police Department was arrested today on four felony counts involving child pornography - becoming the second city police officer in the last four months to face such charges.
8/25/05 - A 34-year-old Ketchikan police officer (Jonathan Clouse) is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and fourth-degree weapons misconduct while off duty. - Juneau Daily News.

8/17/05 - Ex-trooper gets 4 years for sex assault - Associated Press

8/15/05 - Former State Trooper Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting Three Aniak Women - State of Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions & Appeals.

6/3/05 - Trooper Assault Lawsuit Settled - Women get $1 million from State - Anchorage Daily News.

11/18/04 - Alaska State Trooper Daniel L. Scott - Trooper held on 11 criminal charges . Accusations include kidnapping, sexual assault and assault
6/27/05 - The wife of Anchorage police officer Sammy Cohen, who stands accused of sexually abusing a minor and possessing child pornography, says he is not guilty.
10/19/04 - Alaska State Trooper Eric Spitzer - $1 million plus awarded in excessive force arrest.
7/1/03 - Alaska State Trooper Todd VanLiere - Judge sides with family in hunting case - State trooper chastised for bullying, lying about hunting violation.
11/1/01 - Man files excessive force lawsuit against Troopers - FAIRBANKS (AP) -- A lawsuit has been filed against the Alaska Department of Public Safety and three Alaska State Troopers by a man who says troopers detained him unlawfully and used excessive force after he witnessed a Fairbanks bar stabbing in 1999. - Peninsula Clarion
1999 - ExNome Chief of Police Robert L. Kauer - KAUER CASE UPDATE - The Federal Wildlife Officer - Fall 1999