Manhunt closes Glenn Highway

Troopers shoot suspect

EKLUTNA — A Wasilla man was shot by Alaska State Troopers after a lengthy manhunt that led to the Glenn Highway being closed for nearly eight hours early Thursday morning.

Bret Maness, 36, fled troopers after they tried to contact him at 1:15 a.m. Thursday at his residence to take him to Alaska Psychiatric Institute because of a commitment order that was issued for him. Maness was in a motor home at his residence and immediately fled the troopers, an AST press release indicated.

After leaving his home, Maness allegedly fired three shots in the direction of the troopers, none of which struck them. Troopers followed Maness to the Glenn Highway, where road spikes were deployed at Mile 30 Glenn Hwy. around 1:45 a.m.

Maness' vehicle hit the spikes, and when his tires began deflating, he reportedly left the motor home and fled on foot, with a rifle, near Mile 29.5 Glenn Hwy.

The troopers were joined by the Anchorage Police Department. Unable to visually track Maness by foot because of darkness, the troopers contained the area and a fixed-wing airplane began flying overhead. Because Maness was armed and considered dangerous, the Glenn Highway was subsequently closed from its intersection at the Parks Highway to Eklutna.

According to a trooper press release, the fixed-wing plane spotted Maness on a power line trail, heading toward Anchorage. From there, troopers tracked him along the highway, where he would run into the woods, travel south, come back out near the highway and then dart back into the woods.

That pattern continued until 7:20 a.m., when, near Mile 27 Glenn Hwy., Maness was confronted by officers and was subsequently shot.

Maness was transported to Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage by the Anchorage Fire Department. As of 11 a.m. Thursday morning, when the Frontiersman went to press, Maness was still hospitalized, but the family requested that no information be released regarding his condition.

Traffic backed up for miles on the Glenn Highway while the troopers and APD officers tracked Maness. Morning commuters were faced with delays, as troopers allowed few cars through the area in half-hour intervals. Because Maness was armed, and because of the heavy commuter traffic on the Glenn Highway at the time, troopers reportedly took extra precautions.

The highway reopened just before 8 a.m. Thursday.

Alaska State Troopers said charges are pending, following an investigation.