Anchorage patrol officers responded to Eagle River early Sunday morning after Anchorage Dispatch received several calls reporting shots fired in the Business Park/Heritage Place area.

Shortly after the initial calls at 1:32 am, another caller reported that she had seen a young male pointing a handgun in the air while riding a skateboard through Town Square Park. Despite being armed with a description of the subject, responding police were unable to locate him. Police did speak with several persons who all said the sound of gunfire came from the Town Square area.

25 minutes later, at 1:57am a mid-shift officer conducting a traffic stop spotted a male fitting the description of the person shooting in Town Square Park. He was walking northbound on the Old Glenn Highway with a skateboard near the Carrs store. Meanwhile, other officers responded to that scene and made contact with the person later identified as 18-year-old Nathan P. Burroughs. 

The officers explained to Burroughs why stopped him and queried him if he had a firearm in his possession. Burroughs replied that he did not. Because Burroughs fit the description of the shots-fired suspect, officers made the decision to detain him as they continued their investigation. When an officer attempted to cuff Burroughs, he resisted, broke away and attempted to flee but was caught. As Burroughs and the officers struggled Burroughs informed police that he did in fact have a gun on his person as he repeatedly tried to reach for his waitband. The three fell to the ground during the struggle and officers managed to cuff Burroughs. A loaded firearm was found in his front pocket.

As a result, Burroughs was charged with Resisting Arrest, two counts of Misconduct Involving a Weapon V, and Misconduct Involving a Weapon IV.

Two backpacks were seized as evidence and will be searched when search warrants are granted.

There were no injuries reported in this incident.

  Anchorage, arrest, eagle river, firearm, misconduct, nathan burroughs, town square park