Kodiak Man Fatally Shot by Guard at SEAL Facility on Kodiak, ABI Investigates

 

Aerial view of Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak . (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Auxiliarist Tracey Mertens)
Aerial view of Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak . (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Auxiliarist Tracey Mertens)

Alaska State Troopers have revealed that a Kodiak man was shot and killed by a watch guard at the Spruce Cape Naval Special Warfare Detachment Kodiak compound during an incident there on Kodiak Island late on Saturday night.

Troopers were contacted at 10:21 pm on Saturday night by Naval Special Warfare personnel and advised that a Kodiak man, later identified as Jayson Vinberg, age 30, had been shot while “inside a secure facility,” after advancing a watch guard while brandishing a knife

According to the AST’s initial investigation and the watch guard’s statement, the guard saw Vinberg trespassing and tapping on the windows of a watch facility with a knife. Vinberg was advised to leave the area, and the duty officer then exited the building to make sure that Vinberg was complying. It was then according to the initial AST report, that Vinberg began advancing on the officer while brandishing the knife. 

Vinberg “failed to obey the duty officer’s repeated commands to stop walking towards him,” which resulted in the officer drawing his firearm and firing on Vinberg, according to the report.

Medics and AST were contacted and responded. Medics, on arrival, declared Vinberg deceased, and troopers secured the scene.


On Sunday, the Alaska Bureau of Investigation in Anchorage responded to the scene, assumed case responsibility and opened a joint investigation with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. 

“The duty officer’s name won’t be released until after consultation with the Alaska US Attorney’s Office and Naval Criminal Investigative Unit is complete,” Troopers stated.