Good Samaritan hospitalized following assault in Palmer

PALMER— An off-duty Alaska State Fair security guard is in intensive care after he was assaulted early Saturday morning in Palmer.

Matthew Boatright didn’t plan on being a hero, but while escorting a woman to her car, Boatright noticed a man trying to break into a nearby vehicle and tried to stop him. Boatright was knocked unconscious and sent to the hospital.

Palmer Police Department Chief Lance Ketterling received the call at about 3:30 a.m.

Samuel McDonald, 31, of Anchorage, has been charged in the case, according to authorities. The assault allegedly occurred on a sidewalk along South Colony Way in Palmer.

McDonald was arrested, arraigned, and bailed out in less than 24 hours.

McDonald has posted his $1,000 bail and is out of custody, according to court documents. He was arraigned the morning of his arrest and received two assault charges, one class B misdemeanor and one class B felony. He is set to return to the Palmer Courthouse on Sept. 4 for his preliminary hearing.

Boatright was moved to Providence Hospital in Anchorage. He is currently in the ICU.