The two officers who shot and killed Steven Kissack, a Juneau man who they say lunged at them with a knife during a standoff earlier this summer, will not face criminal charges.
The state’s Office of Special Prosecutions released a letter Tuesday clearing Juneau Police Department Sgt. Chris Gifford and Alaska Wildlife Trooper Sgt. Branden Forst in the July 15 shooting of 35-year-old Steven Kissack.
In an interview with JPD Chief Derek Bos, he said he was not surprised with the state’s findings.
“Ultimately it was not the outcome we all want, but Steve Kissack was the one who dictated the circumstances and he’s the one who had the final say as to how it turned out,” he said.
Three other JPD officers were also present at the incident but did not fire their weapons. JPD also released the officers’ camera footage from the incident on Tuesday. All of the officers returned to duty in Juneau following a short administrative leave after the shooting.
Kissack was a member of Juneau’s unhoused community and well-known by many people downtown. He was often seen with his dog, Juno. According to social media posts by Juneau Animal Rescue, Juno has since been adopted by a new owner.
According to JPD, Kissack was first approached by a police officer on July 15 when he was sitting in a doorway on Front Street. Police say the officer questioned Kissack about an alleged assault he was involved in that had happened the day before. Officers deployed non-lethal rounds at Kissack before he was ultimately shot.
Kissack’s death sparked public outcry, vigils and protests by Juneau residents. His interaction with police happened on Front Street in downtown Juneau in the middle of the day, and multiple videos of the incident were shared on social media at the time.
The release of the body camera footage comes 57 days after Kissack’s death.