Northwest Arctic village public safety officer fired multiple shots at an armed man in Kiana, early Thursday morning. Alaska State Troopers arrested the armed man, 24-year-old Jaden Westlake, for an outstanding warrant and later charged him with felony assault. He was uninjured.
Westlake’s first court date was Friday. His public defender entered a plea of not guilty. The public defender could not be reached for comment. Westlake is being held at Kotzebue Regional Jail. His bail is set at $25,000.
In a charging document for the court, the investigating trooper gave this account of what happened: VPSO Henry Martinez responded to a report of an intoxicated man with a rifle outside, near a home. Martinez asked Westlake to drop the gun. Westlake did not comply and pointed the rifle toward him twice. Martinez fired four rounds, and Westlake fled by foot to his home. Family members disarmed and subdued Westlake using duct tape. Troopers later arrested him.
There were no injuries reported from the shots fired.
This may be the first time a VPSO has ever shot at someone in the line of duty. A trooper spokesperson said he was not aware of any other VPSO shooting incidents.
The Northwest Arctic Borough began arming VPSOs for the first time last year. The VPSO was placed on a mandatory 7-day administrative leave following the incident. An investigation by the Alaska Bureau of Investigation is ongoing.
