Anchorage Driver Charged with Felony DUI after striking Two APD Patrol Vehicles

At 10:05 pm on Sunday an APD patrol sergeant reported that while on patrol on 3rd Avenue near Karluk Street, he observed a 1990 Isuzu pickup with a utility box in the back was losing items from the open box onto the street.

The officer activated his lights in order to alert the driver. When the driver did not yield the officer also activated his siren. The driver still did not pull over, and instead ran the red light at 3rd and Eagle. The officer initiated a pursuit as the vehicle ran another light at 4th and Eagle. For safety reasons, the patrol car disengaged his pursuit as the suspect vehicle continued down the roadway and ran yet another light.

After pulling over, the sergeant called in the eluding vehicle and a swing shift patrol heard the report then spotted the Isuzu apparently  broke down at 6th and Gambell. As the swing shift officer worked to block in the Isuzu, driven by the driver later identified as 54-year-old John T. Anderson, he informed the sergeant of his location and the sergeant began driving to that scene.


But as the vehicle was being blocked in, Johnson began moving again and intentionally ran into the patrol vehicle. But, by then the sergeant was at the scene and blocked the vehicle from behind. Johnson was not finished, he put his vehicle in reverse and rammed into the sergeant’s patrol vehicle as well.

The two patrol vehicles continued to work to pin Johnson in and Johnson ran onto a cement embankment and high-centered the Isuzu bringing the pursuit to an end.

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Initially Johnson “refused to comply with the officers’ commands,” APD reported. But, he eventually exited the vehicle and dropped to the ground and was taken into custody.

Johnson found to be failing to comply with probation conditions for a previous DUI and also found to be DUI in the present scenario. He was charged with Felony DUI as a result of three or more DUIs in the past ten years, Felony Eluding, Felony Criminal Mischief x2 and Driving on a Revoked License.

Johnson was remanded to the Anchorage Correctional Facility pending arraignment.