Drunken driver tries to pull pistol, threatens to kill trooper’s family

WASILLA — After grabbing the handle of a pistol during his arrest and later shouting his intent to kill an Alaska State Trooper’s family, a Palmer man was arrested Thursday morning.

According to documents Trooper Neil Blakeslee filed in court against Derrick D. Peterson, 38, the case began as a report of an RZR side-by-side ATV speeding down Knik-Goose Bay Road with its lights off. Blakeslee spotted the ATV in the parking lot of the Tesoro station on Knik-Goose Bay.

“I stopped and observed a male get into the driver seat of the ATV and drive in several circles in the parking lot before coming to a stop next to the gas pumps. The male then exited the vehicle and went inside of the Tesoro,” Blakeslee writes.

The trooper followed the driver into the store.

“As Peterson spoke, I immediately smelled an overwhelming odor of alcoholic beverage. Peterson’s speech was thick and slurred and his eyes were glassy and bloodshot,” Blakeslee writes.

He asked for his name and got a fake one — Jared Peterson — and a fake date of birth to go with it.

“When I asked Peterson if he had been driving the side-by-side ATV, he denied any knowledge of it, saying he didn’t know whose ATV it was, or what I was talking about,” Blakeslee writes.

Peterson denied having weapons on him, but wouldn’t let Blakeslee pat him down.

“For officer safety reasons I attempted to pat down Peterson. Peterson jerked his arms away from me and lunged for the ATV. Peterson managed to get into the driver seat of the ATV, insert the key into the ignition and start it in an attempt to escape,” Blakeslee writes.

So the trooper grabbed Peterson’s arm and yanked him out of the ATV. That’s when he saw the handle of a pistol poking out of an inside pocket of Peterson’s jacket.

“Peterson screamed and reached for the pistol with his right hand. As Peterson wrapped his hand around the butt of the pistol, I managed to pin Peterson’s hand in place, preventing him from being able to draw his pistol,” Blakeslee writes. “Fearing for my life and safety, I applied a lateral vascular neck restraint on two occasions and was able to get Peterson into handcuffs.”

Here’s where the threats come in.

“While in handcuffs, Peterson screamed death threats on multiple occasions, stating, ‘when I get out of jail I’m going to find you on the streets and (expletive) kill you and your family,” Blakeslee writes.

In the ATV, troopers found an empty bottle of alcohol and another partially full one. Peterson refused to do sobriety checks or blow into a breathalyzer.

“Peterson was combative, kicking his feet, screaming threats and obscenities and falling to the floor,” Blakeslee writes.

Peterson’s criminal record, Blakeslee reports, includes convictions for sexual abuse of a minor, possessing a firearm while intoxicated and drunken driving. The latter charge resulted in his driver’s license being revoked.

In Thursday’s case, Peterson was charged with assault for the threats, assault for menacing Blakeslee with the pistol, assaulting a police officer, being a felon in possession of a gun, possessing a gun while drunk, failing to notify an arresting officer of a concealed weapon, drunken driving, refusing a breath test, criminal mischief and driving on a revoked license.

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.