This is a developing story.
A village public safety officer in Kake was arrested Tuesday on three separate charges after he reportedly assaulted a woman and possessed a weapon while intoxicated, according to Alaska State Troopers. He was off-duty when the alleged crimes occurred.
Austin Brady, 28, of Kake was arrested on second-degree assault (class B felony), fourth-degree criminal mischief (class A misdemeanor) and fourth-degree misconduct involving a weapon (class A misdemeanor), according to an AST daily dispatch. Information about his charges have not yet appeared on the state court system.
Troopers received the report of the assault of a woman in Kake at about 8:12 a.m. Tuesday morning, according to the dispatch. However, poor weather prevented troopers from landing their flight to the village by a chartered plane.
Later, with assistance from the Petersburg Police Department, troopers were able to respond via the police department’s patrol vessel at about 2:30 p.m. that afternoon, where they contacted Brady, according to the dispatch.
“Further investigation revealed that Brady had assaulted the female and possessed a firearm while intoxicated,” the dispatch states.
Brady is employed by the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska as a village public safety officer in the community. According to a press release by the Alaska Department of Public Safety, Brady graduated from law enforcement training in Sitka in November 2022.
According to Tlingit and Haida Communications Coordinator Raeanne Holmes, the tribe is not commenting at this time.
“This incident is under investigation still and it’s important we let the Alaska State Troopers complete this work,” she wrote in an email. “As such, Tlingit & Haida will not be providing any comment relating to the alleged incident or the VPSO, their employment status, or conduct.”
Holmes said the Public Safety Division would be dispatching two VPSOs to Kake Wednesday to provide coverage.
• Contact reporter Clarise Larson at clarise.larson@juneauempire.com or (651)-528-1807.
