Man troopers shot sentenced for drug crimes

ANCHORAGE — A man who, among other things, was shot in the rump last July after running from Alaska State Troopers was sentenced Tuesday to seven years in federal prison on drug charges.

Albert Maifea, 36, had been charged with drug conspiracy and distribution of a controlled substance.

“Prior to imposing the sentence, (U.S. District Court) Judge (Sharon) Gleason said that the defendant created a risk to the public by fleeing from law enforcement and there was a need to protect the public from future crimes committed by the defendant,” according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Maifea first came to the attention of Valley law enforcement on July 4, 2012, when he ran from an attempted traffic stop on the Parks Highway near Mile 44 for speeding.

After Maifea failed to yield, Trooper Jared Noll gave chase with speeds reaching 105 mph, passing cars on the right and the left.

After turning onto Fairview Loop Road, the Pontiac Grand Prix he was driving started emitting smoke. Maifea eventually ditched it and ran off on foot. Noll yelled for him to stop and Maifea brandished a gun, after which he was shot in the buttocks.

At the time, troopers made a point of saying it wasn’t clear if Maifea had pointed his gun at Noll or not. The shooting, as all so-called officer-involved-shootings are, was investigated both by the troopers and by prosecuting attorneys with the state Office of Special Prosecutions and Appeals.

“My people tell me that OSPA reviewed the case and did not recommend criminal charges against Noll,” AST spokeswoman Megan Peters says in an email Wednesday.

That determination is generally based on a decision that the use of force was justified.

Just weeks after he was shot, Maifea led Anchorage police on a chase through the midtown area, starting in rush hour at Northern Lights Boulevard and Minnesota Drive.

That second chase led to a half-dozen cars getting banged up, including the Honda that Maifea had seized control of while his girlfriend was driving, and four Anchorage police cars.

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