Municipality of Anchorage, AK

01/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/09/2025 15:21

Municipal Attorney Eva Gardner releases critical incident review and recommendations and announces RFP for comprehensive review of APD policies

​​​Municipal Attorney Eva Gardner releases critical incident review and recommendations and announces RFP for comprehensive review of APD policies, training, tactics, and supervision related to use of force and de-escalation

​Municipal Attorney Eva Gardner releases critical incident review and recommendations and announces RFP for comprehensive review of APD policies, training, tactics, and supervision that pertain to use of force, de-escalation, and cultural awareness.

On August 15, 2024, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance and Chief of Police Sean Case took action in response to an August 13, 2024 officer-involved shooting.

Mayor LaFrance directed the Municipal Attorney to arrange two layers of outside review to understand the factors that lead to officer-involved shootings and to recommend changes to the Anchorage Police Department's ("APD") policies and training to reduce officer-involved shootings.

  1. Investigation of the August 13, 2024 Incident

The first layer of review was to have a third-party investigator direct the administrative investigation of the August 13 incident. The Municipal Attorney's Office contracted with Mr. Christopher Darcy of Fairfax Consulting Group (FCG) for this review. Mr. Darcy has extensive experience in public safety, including 31 years with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), where he served as Undersheriff, Assistant Sheriff, and Deputy Chief, and gained experience with police internal affairs investigations. Mr. Darcy is retired from LVMPD but currently serves as an independent Monitor of the Use of Force for the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mr. Darcy has also served as an expert witness in use of force litigation, working with both plaintiffs and defendants.

The administrative investigation of an officer-involved shooting begins once any criminal process has concluded. The State of Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions concluded its criminal investigation into the August 13, 2024 incident and declined to bring charges against the involved officer on September 30, 2024.

Mr. Darcy began his work immediately upon conclusion of the State of Alaska's investigation. He was provided full access to all information and internal resources necessary to complete his investigation thoroughly, impartially, and efficiently, in conjunction with APD Internal Affairs personnel. His investigation benefited from the participation and perspective of the deceased individual's family members, who were present at the location of the August 13 incident.

At the conclusion of the investigation, Mr. Darcy presented his report to the Municipal Attorney. The report comprehensively analyzed the August 13 incident and recommended certain changes to APD policy and training. The full report cannot be made public because of legal constraints, including personnel privacy rights, but the Municipal Attorney requested that Mr. Darcy prepare a separate public report containing his recommendations for training and policy changes. The report accompanies t​​his press release.

The report's 11 recommendations focus on information-gathering, leadership and supervision, command and control, de-escalation and response to resistance, ​development of force options, contact/cover, cultural competence, post-incident procedures, and equipment concerns.

  1. Outside Review of APD Policies, Training, Tactics, and Supervision

​The second layer of review is a comprehensive third-party review of APD's policies, training, tactics and supervision as they relate to use of force, de-escalation, and cultural awareness. The purpose of this review is to recommend best practices designed to reduce the incidence of officer-involved shootings. The Municipal Attorney, in collaboration with Chief Equity Officer Kim Waller, APD Chief Sean Case, and Special Assistant Thea Agnew Bemben in the Mayor's Office, prepared a Request for Proposals ("RFP). The RFP is posted on the Municipality's Purchasing website and available through the Municipality's BidExpress page. All qualified individuals and entities are encouraged to submit a competitive sealed proposal by February 13, 2025.

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