Palmer man jailed after pursuit ends with Glenn Highway crash, damaged trooper vehicles

A 33-year-old Palmer man is facing a host of charges after a brief police pursuit and a series of vehicle collisions Friday afternoon on the Glenn Highway, according to Alaska State Troopers.

The full online dispatch is below:

Location: Palmer

Type: Failure to Stop at the Direction of a Peace Officer 1, Attempted Murder 1, Assault 3 (x5), Harming a Police Dog 2

Dispatch Text:

On 12-08-2017 at approximately 1506 hours, Alaska State Troopers from Palmer patrol attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a 2008 silver Hyundai Tiburon after it was observed driving recklessly near mile 5 of the Old Glenn Highway, Palmer.

The vehicle failed to yield and accelerated while driving in both lanes of travel. State Troopers discontinued the pursuit near the Glenn Highway and Old Glenn Highway. Troopers later observed the vehicle exiting the highway at Eklutna and turning back northbound on the Glenn Highway.

At approximately 1518 hours, State Troopers with the Criminal Suppression Unit located the vehicle northbound on the Glenn Highway near mile 31. State Troopers attempted to stop the vehicle, at which time the suspect failed to yield northbound at speeds of 105 mph. The vehicle lost control near mile 33.5 of the Glenn Highway, exiting the roadway and striking two light poles. The vehicle then returned to the highway and continued northbound, sideswiping a State Trooper vehicle.

Near mile 34 of the Glenn Highway, the driver of the vehicle attempted to run over a State Trooper who was in the median attempting to deploy spike strips. The State Trooper was able to avoid being hit, at which time the suspect vehicle struck a parked State Trooper K9 unit vehicle. This collision pushed the K9 unit vehicle into the southbound lane of the Glenn Highway, where it was then struck by a 2005 Chevrolet Venture traveling southbound.

The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody and was identified as RUSSELL BLAKEMAN (age 33 of Palmer). The collision with the State Trooper K9 unit vehicle caused minor injuries to K9 "Skippy", which was inside the K9 unit vehicle at the time. Blakeman was subsequently charged with Failure to Stop at the Direction of a Peace Officer 1, Attempted Murder 1, Assault 3 (x5), Harming a Police Dog 2, and Resisting Arrest. One State Trooper vehicle sustained extensive damage, two other State Trooper vehicles sustained minor damage during the incident. Additional charges are likely. Blakeman was remanded to Mat-Su Pretrial on no bail status pending arraignment.