Impaired Anchorage Driver Arrested after Attempting to Ram His Way out of Vehicle Blockade


Anchorage police responded to the intersection of Tanglewood Place and Milky Way Drive after receiving a call reporting a driver slumped over the wheel of his running vehicle and would not wake up.

Officers arrived at the scene and blocked in the white Ford F-150 front and back before rousing the driver who was still slumped over the wheel. When the driver, later identified as 31-year-old Yasen I. Taha, woke, officers spoke with him briefly before Taha took out an ID and gave it to one of the officers. The officer went to his patrol car to do a computer check while the other officer stood by on the passenger side.

As Taha began to move and look around, that second officer ordered Taha to unlock the passenger side door. Taha did not comply and instead grabbed the wheel and stepped on the gas, first slamming into the patrol vehicle behind him then the one in front. The officers climbed into their respective vehicles and actively worked to keep Taha blocked in.

When Taha realized his efforts to break out were futile, he jumped out of his truck and attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly chased down. As he was being cuffed, Taha resisted the officers as they worked to take him into custody. He was placed in a patrol vehicle as officers worked to ascertain his identity as the ID provided by Taha was found not to belong to him.

A third patrol officer arrived at the arrest site and was able to positively identify Taha. It would be found that Taha had two active warrants, one a felony, the other a misdemeanor.


APD said that drug paraphernalia was seen inside the vehicle and that Taha showed signs of impairment. He was taken to the department, where he refused a Standardized Field Sobriety Test and threw a plastic baggie into the trash. A breathalyzer was administered and showed no alcohol in his system. That baggie was retrieved by officers and it tested as positive for methamphetamine.

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A search warrant was obtained and a blood draw was performed.

APD said, “Yasen Taha was remanded on his two warrants. He was additionally charged with Resisting, False Information, three counts of Criminal Mischief III, Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance IV, Operating under the Influence, and Fail to Stop II.”