Trooper in officer-involved shooting identified

UPDATE: The Alaska State Troopers have identified trooper Christopher Havens as the officer who discharged his firearm in the officer-involved shooting of 20-year-old Cameron McCarthy in downtown Palmer on Thursday.

The announcement, released Sunday evening, came at the end of the mandatory 72-hour administrative leave following the use of lethal force.

Havens is a six-year veteran of the Alaska State Troopers, stationed at the Mat-Su West Trooper post.

Original story:

PALMER — A 20-year-old man is dead after an officer-involved shooting that followed a long standoff Thanksgiving Day in downtown Palmer.

Alaska State Trooper identified Cameron McCarthy Friday morning as the man who was shot while trying to break into an occupied apartment near the intersection of Evergreen Avenue and South Dimond Street Thursday evening in Palmer. According to report released by AST Friday morning, shots were fired at about 6:22 p.m.

“McCarthy was struck. Officers on scene immediately rendered life saving measures. McCarthy was pronounced dead on scene after being loaded into an ambulance,” troopers stayed in the report.

According to troopers, no law enforcement officers were injured and the personnel that utilized lethal force in the incident are on mandatory 72-hour administrative leave.

A series of events over nearly five hours led to McCarthy’s death.

It started about 1:45 p.m. Thursday when McCarthy, who had active arrest warrants, was seen at the Pamer Train Depot. Before Palmer Police could make contact with McCarthy, according to troopers, he fled to the Eagle Hotel in Palmer.

“Palmer Police contacted McCarthy in the hotel lobby,” troopers said. “McCarthy brandished a machete and was not cooperative with Palmer Police.”

PPD called AST for assistance with the incident. A trained negotiator and member of the crisis intervention team also arrived on scene.

McCarthy initially locked himself inside an empty room in the hotel, troopers said, but later climbed out a window and onto a sign attached to the hotel building. The Palmer Fire Department and emergency services personnel were also called.

“In addition to other de-escalation methods, less-lethal force utilized during the incident included taser, pepper ball and bean bag rounds. McCarthy jumped from the sign onto a fire truck and ran from the scene,” troopers said.

McCarthy fled again to the apartment building where the shooting occurred.

Frontiersman editor Jeremiah Bartz contributed to this report.