Wasilla officer identified who fired fatal gunshot Monday

WASILLA — Differing accounts emerged Thursday surrounding an officer-involved shooting earlier this week.

Statements released by the Wasilla Police Department differ substantially from eye-witness accounts provided by the mother of the man who was shot and killed Monday after officers say the responded to a 911 call that was disconnected.

Police identified Andrew Kappler, 28, a two-year officer with department, as the shooter when officers responded to a domestic violence call.

According to the police’s account of the incident, officers entered the house on North Jack Nicklaus Drive and spotted Michael Bonty, 23, “suffering from several self-inflicted wounds,” according to the WPD release. Bonty made a “threatening move against another occupant of the house,” at which point Kappler fired a single shot, killing Bonty, police say.

Previous accounts had alleged that Bonty was armed at the time of the shooting, but did not specify the weapon. Authorities now say the weapon Bonty had was a knife. A previous report in the Frontiersman said that Bonty had a gun. Police and Bonty’s say that information was false.

Police declined to identify the other occupant of the home threatened in the incident.

Chaos, differing accounts

The gray wood frame home on Jack Nicklaus Drive where Bounty died belongs to Michael Bonty’s mother, Cynthia Bonty, according to property records. According to attorney Curt Martin, who is representing the family, Cynthia Bonty was the other person present at the scene.

What follows is her account of the incident as relayed by her attorney.

Cynthia Bonty says she called 911 Monday evening because her youngest son, Michael, had a steak knife in each hand, and was cutting himself. Because of her son’s actions, she was unable to finish the 911 call, according to Martin.

Police responded to the call within minutes.

“She saw them coming to the front door,” Martin said. “Michael told her ‘Don’t let them in, I don’t want to talk to them.’ She went to the front door to open the door and let them in, and that’s when Michael grabbed Cynthia.”

Michael Bonty loomed over his mother, and police yelled for her to move aside “to make a clear shot at Michael,” Martin said. “Cynthia was terrified.”

That’s when the officer authorities identify as Kappler shot her son, according to Cynthia’s account.

“She says he fell to the floor face-first,” Martin said. “He was face down. One hand was up underneath his body. The other hand was at the side of his body. The officers ordered her out of the room, presumably for her safety. She complied.”

When Cynthia Bonty left the room, Michael’s eyes were open, and Michael was still alive, according to her attorney.

“His eyes were open and the palm opened and the knife fell out of his hand,” Martin related. “That’s the last time she saw her son alive.”

Cynthia left the room by going around a corner. She heard the officers yelling for her son to drop the weapon.

“Within the next 10 to 20 seconds she heard a Taser go off,” Martin said. “Then — Cynthia’s testimony is, her belief is — she heard another gun shot.”

Officers removed her from the home and asked her to see an EMT, and then to go to the hospital, Martin said.

While Cynthia says she is almost certain she heard another gunshot, as well as a Taser, her attorney said the family is waiting to see both the death certificate and the coroner’s report before making a definite statement.

“If there’s not a second bullet wound, obviously she will have been mistaken,” Martin said. “The investigation will finish and we’ll find out if it was a justifiable killing or not.”

Cynthia was understandably distraught at the death of her youngest child, Martin added.

Administrative leave, investigation continues

Department officials placed Kappler on a minimum 72-hour leave immediately following the shooting. When asked if Kappler would return to the line of duty immediately, Officer Rick Manrique, contacted before telling the Frontiersman he was unable to comment and should not have commented prior, was obscure.

“If he feels the need to seek some assistance with it, we’re not going to turn him down,” he said. “We whole-heartedly support our people.”

Kappler is well respected in the department and community, Manrique said.

“He’s a very caring, empathetic officer,” he said. “He’s very highly regarded.”

Manrique had originally identified officers as responding to a 911 disconnect, which is not mutually exclusive to the domestic dispute call which drew officers to the scene, he said.

“That’s how a lot of these (dispute) calls start: A 911 disconnect with some noise in the background,” he said.

Alaska State Troopers were still investigating the shooting Thursday afternoon, according to spokeswoman Megan Peters.

“Alaska Bureau of Investigation is not providing additional details beyond what has been already stated by WPD,” Peters said. “Once we complete the investigation, the Office of Special Prosecutions and Appeals will review the case and it will make the determination on the outcome.”

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269 or brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com