Man killed during 3rd police chase in 2 years

EKLUTNA — Alaska State Troopers say Justin Lloyd Abrahamson, 29, of Anchorage was shot and killed after leading troopers on a car chase from Wasilla to Eklutna that ended when his car caught fire and he brandished a bat at troopers while continuing to flee on foot.

Court records show this was the second time in as many months Abrahamson had fled when police tried to pull him over, and the third in two years. He was charged with drunken driving, driving without a valid license and failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer during a June 17 incident.

He had posted a $3,000 corporate bond on those charges July 27 and was released from jail less than a week before Friday’s chase, according to court records.

Judging by court records, Abrahamson hadn’t had a valid driver’s license since at least 2010 and he compiled a slew of driving on a suspended license charges since then. In July 2011, he was charged with failing to stop for an officer in Anchorage. That case was resolved in March of this year after he pleaded guilty. Three months later he picked up the failure to stop charge he was facing when he died.

Traffic on the Glenn Highway in both directions was stopped for several hours Friday while law enforcement officers worked the scene near Mile 25, Glenn Highway.

The incident began around 4 a.m. in Wasilla and by 4:20 a.m., Abrahamson had been shot and killed on the northbound side of the Glenn Highway near the Thunderbird Falls Exit. The highway re-opened to the normal flow of traffic around 1 p.m., Friday, AST spokesperson Beth Ipsen said.

She said Abrahamson fled when troopers tried to pull him over for not signaling a turn onto Tommy Moe Drive in Wasilla. Abrahamson fled onto Lucille Street, then the Parks Highway, which he followed to the Glenn Highway, Ipsen said.

Spike strips deployed near the Trunk Road exit on the Parks managed to deflate a tire, but Abrahamson continued to flee until the 1994 Saturn coupe he was driving caught fire 26 miles later.

Troopers said Abrahamson was the sole occupant of the vehicle and fled on foot toward northbound traffic when the Saturn caught fire. Attempts to subdue him peacefully — including using a Taser — were unsuccessful, Ipsen said.

“The man then stopped running and advanced on three troopers with a raised bat,” a trooper press release states. “At that time, a trooper fired and shot the man with his duty weapon at approximately 4:20 a.m.”

Abrahamson was declared dead at the scene.

No law enforcement officers were injured in the incident. In accordance with department policy, the names of troopers involved in shooting incidents are not released for 72 hours.

Troopers received assistance from the Anchorage and Wasilla police departments, including a K-9 officer from WPD.

The Alaska Bureau of Investigation responded and assumed case responsibility.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the investigator assigned to the case at (907) 269-5450.

Contact managing editor Heather A. Resz at heather.resz@frontiersman.com or 352-2268.