This is a developing story.
A state investigation has concluded “law enforcement officers were legally justified in their use of deadly force” in the July 15 shooting of Steven Kissack during a confrontation on a downtown street, according to an announcement Tuesday evening by the Juneau Police Department, which also released bodycam footage from four JPD officers involved in the incident.
JPD also released a cellphone video taken by a person from a rooftop that shows Kissack, 35, holding a knife while running at an officer who is moving to elude him immediately before the shooting. The video — which starts only a second before the shooting — appears to offer the clearest depiction of the fatal moment, while the JPD bodycams show several minutes of the verbal and physical confrontation leading up to that moment.
The 17-minute bodycam video of JPD officer Lee Phelps shows the full encounter from when the officer first approaches Kissack as he is sitting in the doorway of a storefront on Front Street.
2
The state’s findings are not surprising, Juneau Police Chief Derek Bos said in an interview Tuesday evening.
“I’m very happy that they found the officers’ use of force was appropriate,” he said. “I do think this was a situation that was very unfortunate, but the one person who could have changed the outcome was Steven Kissack.”
The incident, as with all officer-involved shootings, was investigated by the state Office of Special Prosecutions. The state agency has assessed about 150 officer-involved shootings since 2010, none of which have resulted in a recommendation of criminal charges.
When asked if people might question the state’s findings given the universal outcomes of its investigations, Bos said “watch the video.”
“I think that’s a starting point and that’s great evidence right there,” he said.
Bos said he showed the videos released by JPD to members of Kissack’s family, who live in Florida, before they were released to the public. He said it was a difficult, but controlled conversation.
“Obviously they are going through a grieving process, so I respect that they were respectful in return,” he said.
Kissack’s family could not be immediately reached Tuesday evening for comment.
The death of Kissack, who lived on Juneau’s streets for several years with his dog Juno, resulted in widespread community reaction that included criticism of the officers’ actions — including questions about whether they could have de-escalated tensions — and the circumstances that resulted in his being unhoused for years. Kissack was charged in 2021 with assaulting an officer, but court records show that since then he was mostly cited for minor camping-related violations. However, JPD reports stated his behavior became more aggressive starting in February of this year.
The fatal confrontation started when a JPD officer approached Kissack to question him as a suspect in an assault that occurred the previous day. The situation escalated until four JPD officers and one Alaska Wildlife Trooper were at the scene, during which Kissack was first shot with non-lethal projectiles.
“Steven Kissack charged at the officers while brandishing his knife,” the JPD announcement Tuesday stated. “Two law enforcement officers discharged their firearms and Kissack was struck. Lifesaving efforts were performed by law enforcement on scene and Capital City Fire/Rescue. Steven Kissack was taken to the local hospital for treatment. Kissack was pronounced deceased a short time later.”
When Kissack started running gunshots were fired by JPD Sgt. Chris Gifford and Trooper Sgt. Branden Forst. The other JPD officers involved were Phelps, Terry Allen, and Tim Kissner.
Kissack was running at Allen when the shots were fired. The bodycam of the officer, who dove to the ground as Kissack ran in his direction, does not show what happened as the shots were fired.
The bodycams of Gifford, Phelps and Kissner show the scene from Kissack’s left side as he runs, with Allen obscured as the fatal shots are fired.
The JPD bodycam footage is at the department’s website. Footage from the trooper at the scene had not been released as of early Tuesday evening.
“Video content and language may not be suitable for all viewers,” the JPD announcement states. “Some content has been redacted to ensure the right to privacy of witnesses and those others directly involved in the incident.”
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
A screenshot from a rooftop phone video shows Steven Kissack running toward Juneau Police Department officer Terry Allen a moment before Kissack was fatally shot July 15. (Screenshot from video provided by JPD)
