Officers who returned fire on Big Lake man identified, back on duty

WASILLA — Wasilla police have released the names of two officers who shot and killed a Big Lake man last week.

Officer Jentry Crain and Sgt. Kelly Swihart were the two officers who returned fire March 25 after John Rivera, 42, fired in their direction. Rivera died of his injuries.

Crain, 35, is a longtime motorcycle patrol officer and a four-year veteran of the department. Swihart, 38, is a seven-year veteran.

Lt. Craig Robinson described both as good men and good officers and said both have returned to active duty.

“They really are,” Robinson said. “They’re very family-oriented, both of them.”

Rivera was a Valley youth gymnastics coach.

Houston police responded to a Big Lake residence in the afternoon of March 25 on a report that Rivera was suicidal and heard shots coming from the residence. More officers responded, eventually growing to include eight Alaska State Troopers, four Wasilla police officers and both Houston police officers.

Rivera eventually exited the home armed with a handgun, which he fired towards the officers, drawing return fire, according to law enforcement reports.

Reached Tuesday, Alaska State Trooper Sgt. Craig Allen, who is supervising the investigation into the shooting, said he had no new information to offer.

The shooting is the second in the department’s history. The last came in 1996 when officers shot and wounded a burglary suspect in downtown Wasilla. The last officer-involved shooting in which a suspect was wounded was September 2005, when Palmer police wounded taxidermist Shawn McCrary.