At 1:50 pm on Wednesday, in the community of Kivalina, the Village Police Officer there called in to report an assault that had taken place that morning in the village. The VPO there reported that 25-year-old Quunguq Hawley had assaulted another community member with a knife while intoxicated.

Troopers dispatched to the village from Kotzebue. While troopers were enroute to Kivalina, the situation in the village escalated and it was reported that Hawley had gained access to a shotgun, brandished the weapon and fired several shots around his residence while challenging anyone to fight him.

While  this was occurring, the Village Police Officer, Henry Swan, and a concerned citizen, snuck up on the unwary Hawley and tackled him, taking him down in the snow. Hawley was disarmed and taken into custody.

Troopers arrived in the community, took custody of Hawley and transported him to Kotzebue where he was remanded to the Kotzebue Regional Jail Facility.

Kivalina, located between the Chukchi Sea and the Kivalina River on a long barrier island in northwest Alaska, has a population of approximately 374 according to the 2010 census. Kivalina is the only Bowhead Whale hunting village in the region.

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