A pursuit that ended in a crash after an Impaired Driving Enforcement Unit that observed a possible impaired driver led to an arrest on several charges and an outstanding warrant on Tuesday morning, APD revealed.

An IDEU officer in the East 56th Avenue and Old Seward Highway area at 2:35 am on Tuesday morning reported that he saw a “vehicle swerve over the yellow line multiple times and thought the driver may be impaired,” and so activated his lights and attempted to perform a traffic stop.

The driver, later identified as 35-year-old John P Teri, initially slowed and looked to be pulling over, the officer reported, but then sped up and off from the unit who turned on his siren and initiated pursuit. 

But, the Dodge driven by Teri crested a high spot west of Lumbis Avenue on 78th and the officer lost visual on the vehicle. When the officer himself crested the high spot on the road, the Dodge was nowhere to be seen.

Additional patrol vehicles responded to the scene and quickly located the suspect vehicle where it came to a stop after crashing down an embankment and into the woods. When found, the vehicle was empty and so a K-9 unit was called in and a perimeter was set up. Officers report that they saw a handgun on the driver’s side floorboard. When checked, it was found to be loaded.

The K-9 began its track at the vehicle location and in short time located Teri east of a nearby apartment complex. As officers approached, “Teri yelled out that he would give up.” The report continues, saying, “Officers gave Teri commands; he complied and was taken into custody without incident.”

Teri was identified and a check would find that Teri was a felony with an active April arrest warrant for parole violation on a prior Murder II conviction. After officers performed Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, Teri was placed under arrest on charges of Fail to Stop, Misconduct Involving a Weapon III – Felon in Possession, and Operating under the Influence as well as the warrant.

APD impounded the vehicle and applied for a search warrant.

Teri remains in custody as of Thursday.

  78th, Alaska, Anchorage, car, chase, crash, dodge, handgun, highway, john teri, old seward, vehicle