AST K-9 Blazer subdues fugitive

WASILLA — When Blazer speaks, people listen — especially suspects fleeing his well-trained nose and roughly 320 pounds of bite pressure.

A few “words” from Blazer was enough to subdue a man who led Anchorage Police and Alaska State Troopers on a high-speed chase along the Glenn and Parks highways Saturday, caused an accident with another vehicle, and then fled on foot.

According to a trooper dispatch, the driver sped away when Anchorage Police officers attempted to stop the northbound VW Jetta for speeding around 1:50 p.m., Aug. 31. The driver drove recklessly, reached speeds of more than 100 mph and passed multiple vehicles on the right-hand shoulder of the road and, troopers say. Eventually, Anchorage officers broke off pursuit.

Troopers began receiving calls around 2 p.m. reporting that the Jetta had been in a collision with a Toyota Prius at the Parks Highway/Hyer Road off ramp.

Spokesman Tim DeSpain said trooper Daron Cooper and his K-9 partner Blazer were off duty when they heard the Anchorage Police radio traffic about the incident and began heading that way.

On scene, Cooper was beginning to talk to witnesses, getting the driver’s description, when the driver and a female passenger appeared along the roadside about 20 yards away, DeSpain said.

Cooper and Blazer followed the driver across the north and south lanes of traffic and the guardrail while another trooper chased the passenger, he said.

When they got to the parking lot of the G and G Food Mart, Cooper released Blazer. DeSpain said when the fleeing man — identified as Michael D. Elam, 27, of Anchorage — looked back and saw Blazer on his heels he dropped to the ground.

Blazer stayed by the suspect barking for Cooper to respond, DeSpain said.

“It was a great way to handle this one,” he said.

Alaska State Troopers with the Bureau of Highway Patrol responded to the scene and investigated. They determined that the collision was caused when Elam ran a stop sign at the bottom of the off ramp and collided with a Toyota Prius driven by Patricia Kennedy, 66, of Wasilla. Kennedy sustained minor injuries and was treated at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

Troopers say Elam was driving under the influence of controlled substances and with a revoked license. Elam was arrested for felony eluding, leaving the scene of an injury collision, DUI, assault in the fourth degree, driving while license revoked, and failure to immediately notify the Department of Public Safety of a collision.

He was remanded to the Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility with bail set at $15,000.