Kasaan Man Arrested for Stalking Order after Brief Scuffle

Aerial view of Kasaan, in Southeast Alaska. Image-kasaan.org screengrab
Aerial view of Kasaan, in Southeast Alaska. Image-kasaan.org screengrab

A Kasaan man was jailed on several charges after an incident at the Kasaan City offices on Tuesday morning.

49-year-old Hal W. Priser was taken into custody at 11:20 am on Tuesday morning after a brief scuffle with a VPSO at the Kasaan City building. The VPSO was attempting to take Priser into custody for violating a court-issued stalking order. As the VPSO attempted to take Priser into custody, Priser physically resisted his arrest and also attempted to leave the area. Priser attempted to bite the VPSO on the wrist and hand and also scratched the officer’s neck, leaving lacerations. The suspect was ultimately taken into custody with the help of two Kasaan citizens.

This was the second contact that the VPSO had had with Priser that morning. Less than one hour earlier, at 10:30 am, the VPSO had served the court-issued stalking order that prohibited him from entering the Kasaan City office building.

Priser was arrested and charged with Assault IV on a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, and Violating a Stalking Order. He was transported to Craig where he was remanded to the Craig Jail and held without bail.

Kasaan, which in tlingit means “Pretty Town,” is a small community with a population of less than 50 on the east side of Prince of Wales Island.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]