Police arrested a drunk driver who allegedly struck the back of the Governor’s Mansion with his vehicle, damaging the historic house’s garage door Thursday night in downtown Juneau.
Officers found Alexander Oliphant, 49, with his dog sitting in a car that was lodged in a construction fence outside the Capitol, police say. The Juneau Police Department charged Oliphant for driving while intoxicated and refusing to take a breath test, according to a statement from JPD.
A woman called JPD at 10:51 p.m. to report the incident at the construction site. When officers questioned Oliphant at the scene, he volunteered that he also struck the Governor’s Mansion, police said. Sell said the damage was only to a garage door, which officers found caved in.
Gov. Bill Walker was home during the incident but not disturbed, Sell said.
Facilities personnel from the state Division of General Services began repairs to the garage door Friday morning. Two employees, Dave Blackwell and Justin Papenbrock, spoke to the Empire as they were placing wooden beams in the entryway where the garage door had been. Papenbrock said he is building a temporary wall facing Indian Street because the garage door had to be removed. The wall will secure a back door currently left exposed into the governor’s home. Blackwell said he doesn’t expect a new garage door to be in place for several weeks.
Oliphant and his dog were not injured during the incident, Sell said. JPD turned the dog over to Animal Control.
The investigation is continuing and additional charges are pending.
• Contact reporter Paula Ann Solis at 523-2272 or paula.solis@juneauempire.com.
