Animal care officer leaves borough job

PALMER -- A Mat-Su Borough Animal Care and Regulation officer who was arrested for drunken driving, weapons violations and felony eluding while on duty is no longer employed by the borough.

Mat-Su Borough Human Resources Director Patricia Von Ah confirmed Tuesday that ACR officer Mark Thomas was no longer working at the shelter, but declined to elaborate. She said borough code prevents any other comment on Thomas' previous employment.

Von Ah had earlier consulted with Dave Allison, the borough's chief animal care officer, and Dennis Brodigan, deputy director of the borough's Department of Public Safety, to discuss the situation. Thomas, 44, had been suspended without pay since his arrest.

He was operating a borough animal care vehicle on assignment at 12:58 a.m. on Sept. 30 when a Wasilla police officer saw him driving 75 mph in a 45-mph zone on the Parks Highway near Spenard Builders Supply.

Officer Cecil Dickerson said in a court affidavit that Thomas continued at a high rate of speed, swerving over the fog line on occasion. When apprehended two miles from where the chase began, Thomas' eyes were bloodshot and watery, Dickerson said. He registered .142 blood-alcohol level and failed field sobriety tests, according to the affidavit.

Dickerson discovered while searching Thomas that he had a loaded .22-caliber revolver in a holster on his hip.

Thomas was charged with failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer, a class C felony; driving under the influence; fourth-degree misconduct involving weapons and fifth-degree misconduct involving weapons.

He is scheduled to appear in District Court today for a pre-indictment hearing. Thomas is being represented by Wasilla attorney Verne Rupright.