Office of Special Prosecutions Completes Review of Officer-Involved Shooting in Utqiagvik

June 13, 2025

(Anchorage, AK) - The Office of Special Prosecutions completed its review of an officer-involved shooting from Feb. 24, 2025, involving Akugaq Leavitt and North Slope Borough Police Department (NSBPD) Officers Donovan Chappell, John-Ashton Swope, and Mark Pelia in Utqiagvik. The review determined that Officer Chappell was justified in his use of deadly force against Mr. Leavitt, and Officer Swope and Detective Pelia were justified in any potential verbal command or encouragement to another officer to use deadly force.

NSBPD was investigating an alleged kidnapping, assault, and/or attempted murder involving Mr. Leavitt, who was believed to be holding another individual hostage in his home while assaulting her. When officers made contact with Mr. Leavitt outside of the residence, he refused to follow their commands and instead ran back into his residence, where the alleged victim was located. Officers believed Mr. Leavitt also had access to firearms in the residence. Officer Chappell fired two times at Mr. Leavitt after he ignored officers' commands and returned to the residence.

CONTACT: Chief Assistant Attorney General Jenna Gruenstein, at (907) 269-6250 or jenna.gruenstein@alaska.gov.

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.