A 26-year-old Fairbanks woman was arrested and charges that included attempted murder and kidnapping following an incident with a firearm that unfolded in the parking lot of the trooper post in that interior town on Sunday, troopers reported.

Troopers were notified of an incident by the victim that included a firearm discharge by his ex-girlfriend, Julie Ann James when she attempted to shoot him. He told troopers that James had fled into the woods following the firearm discharge.

Troopers would locate her in the woods near the parking lot and she was charged with Attempted Murder I, Kidnapping, Assault III, Misconduct Involving a Weapon IV and violating her conditions of release. James has a previous domestic violence charge concerning the victim and was under court order not to contact him.

The victim would tell troopers that he was helping her run an errand despite having broken up with her earlier in the week. But, the contact soon turned into an argument over their relationship and James told the victim she had a gun and threatened to shoot herself.

The victim said James said since she had a gun they were going to continue their conversation, and if he didn’t comply, she would shoot him.

Eventually, the victim pulled into the DMV parking lot and rolled down his window while asking James to leave. She didn’t leave and instead pointed the handgun at the victim’s chest, troopers who viewed the video that the victim had been recording said.

The incident ended when the victim tried to take control of the weapon and it discharged into the floorboards of the vehicle. James then fled into the woods while the victim contacted troopers.

James was arraigned on the charges on Tuesday afternoon. She remains in custody at the Fairbanks Correctional Center.

  attempted, dmv, domestic, fairbanks, julie ann james, kidnapping, murder, parking lot, post, trooper, violence