The Anchorage Police Department reported on Tuesday that during a traffic stop at Lake Otis and Northern Lights Boulevard at 11:22 PM on Monday night, they apprehended a convicted felon and subsequently charged him with a dozen counts.

According to the report, and APD officer initiated stop because the driver was driving his vehicle without his headlights illuminated. While stopped at the red light at the intersection, the driver, later identified as 31-year-old Rusty Parrish, signaled to the patrol officer that he would pull over in the lot ahead. Instead of waiting for the light to change, Parrish ran the red light and pulled into the parking lot.

The patrol officer exited his vehicle and approached Parrish. Parrish told the officer that he didn’t have his license with him, then proceeded to give the officer a name and birthdate. When the officer asked Parrish if they were any guns, knives or other weapons in the vehicle, Parrish answered in the negative. The officer returned to the patrol vehicle to process the paperwork for the stop and Parrish stepped out of the vehicle and hollered to the officer that he wanted to smoke. The officer ordered Parrish back into the vehicle, and as Parrish turned, the officer observed a large knife clipped to his belt. The patrol officer ordered Parrish to unclip the knife and throw it into the back of the vehicle. Instead, Parrish dropped the knife to the ground.

The officer called for backup.[xyz-ihs snippet=”adsense-body-ad”]”Parrish began walking backward, ignoring the officer’s commands to stop, and then took off running on foot,” the report stated. 

The officer ordered Parrish to stop, Parrish ignored the commands and the officer gave chase. During the pursuit, the officer observed the suspect throwing an object into the alley, then a few feet later toss another object.

The officer caught up with Parrish and tackled him into a snow bank in the parking lot of the Wendler Middle School.

Additional officers arrived and conducted a patdown search. During their search they found two empty under-the-armpit gun holsters, a bag containing pills, and another bag that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. The patdown also produced a wallet with an ID showing Parrish’s correct identity.

A quick computer check would show that Parrish was a convicted felon and had two outstanding felony probation violation warrants.

When officers retraced the pursuit path, they would find two loaded handguns where Parrish had tossed them.

A search warrant was requested and issued for the vehicle and other drugs and drug paraphernalia was found and confiscated as evidence.

Parrish was transported to the Anchorage Jail on charges of Misconduct Involving a Weapon III x3, Misconduct Involving a Weapon II, Misconduct Involving a Weapon V, Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance II x2, Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance IV x3, False Information, and Resisting Arrest.

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