At 10:38 AM on November 14, 2022, a handgun was reported as stolen to APD.  The loaded gun had been inside a locked vehicle parked outside a business on the 300-block of E 87th Avenue.  The suspect forced entry through the passenger door to gain access to the pickup. 

At 11:29 PM on January 14, 2023, Anchorage Police were notified that 32-year-old Joseph R. Fagundes was making threats to harm his ex-girlfriend and himself.  A computer check showed that Fagundes had four outstanding warrants (three felonies and one misdemeanor).  It was further relayed to APD Dispatch that Fagundes was driving a gold Jeep Compass.

Patrol officers located the Jeep being driven on the east side of Anchorage; officers kept eyes on the Jeep as other units began arriving in the area to assist in stopping the vehicle.  When the driver (later identified as Fagundes) noticed the police vehicles, he began running red lights near E 15th Avenue and Cordova Street. Due to his dangerous driving behavior, officers did not pursue.

Roughly 30 minutes later, a patrol sergeant saw the Jeep being driven near Hilltop Drive and W Klatt Road; the Jeep and the sergeant’s vehicle were being driven towards one another on the same roadway.  The sergeant initiated a traffic stop by engaging his vehicle’s emergency lights. Fagundes attempted to elude by throwing the Jeep into reverse and driving backwards.  The sergeant ended the pursuit by pinning the Jeep between his patrol vehicle and a snowbank.  The sergeant exited his patrol vehicle, gave multiple commands to Fagundes, and then heard shots being fired at him from the Jeep. The sergeant took cover and notified responding units.  After multiple officers arrived, and a perimeter was set up, police ultimately found Fagundes hiding under a trampoline in the back yard of a residence on the 900-block of Allison Court.  Fagundes was taken into custody without further incident.  Lying next to Fagundes under the trampoline was the handgun that had been reported as stolen two months prior.

Fagundes was transported to the Anchorage Police Department for questioning by detectives.  Fagundes complained of back pain; medics responded to APD HQ and evaluated Fagundes. Fagundes was medically cleared and not transported for treatment.

Fagundes was remanded at the Anchorage Jail on his outstanding warrants.  He was additionally charged with Attempted Murder I, Assault IV, Reckless Endangerment, Misconduct Involving a Weapon III – Felon in Possession, Theft II, Misconduct Involving a Weapon III – Fire from a Vehicle, five counts of Assault III, Fail to Stop, Misconduct Involving a Weapon II – Fire Gun at a Dwelling, and Misconduct Involving a Weapon IV – Possess while Intoxicated.

No officers were injured; no shots were fired by police. The sergeant did not return fire as he did not have a clear line of sight to the suspect. The sergeant’s patrol vehicle was struck by gunfire at least once. 

There was a second person inside the vehicle with Fagundes when Fagundes was contacted by police on Hilltop Drive.  That person was not criminally charged.

Anchorage Police Department

  Alaska, Anchorage, apd, attempted murder, crime, felon, Joseph Fagundes