Juneau police have released the name of the man menacing an officer with a grappling hook attached to a chain who was then shot there on early Sunday morning as 34-year-old Kelly Michael Stephens of Juneau.

A JPD officer responded to the initial call at 10:18 pm on Saturday night from a caller who reported that he was approached by the suspect as the caller was going into the Super Bear IGA store who told him repeatedly that he was going to kill him while swinging at him with the hook and chain. The caller did not know the identity of the suspect.

When the officer arrived at the scene, Stephans had already fled the location.

Then, at just prior to 12:30 am, the same officer received a report of shots-fired at the Chinook apartment complex and responded to investigate. When the officer arrived, he encountered Stephans screaming and swinging the hook and chain. The JPD officer issued verbal commands but was ignored. When Stephans advanced on the officer and screamed repeatedly that he was going to kill him the officer fired one shot hitting Stephans in the torso.

Other officers responding to the scene placed Stephans in handcuffs and called an ambulance. When Stephans arrived at the Bartlett Hospital, he was declared deceased.

The investigation into the officer-involved shooting is being undertaken by Juneau Pollice Department detectives and troopers with the Alaska Bureau of Investigation. Per policy, the officer was placed on administrative leave and his identity will be released following the mandatory waiting period.

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