About noon last Thursday, in the community of Selawik, the Village Public Safety Officer there contacted several underage drinkers as they were drinking homebrew in an area behind a group of houses in town.

The VPSO, Michael Gagliano, immediately called for the homebrew to be dumped out. All but two of the people there complied with his order.

The two, 18-year-old Jalen Norell, and a minor female only identified as KB, defied Gagliano’s order and grabbed a tote and ran away with it.

Gagliano gave chase and attempted to arrest the two. Norell became combative. As Gagliano worked to subdue the feisty Norell, the girl, KB picked up a large wooden pole laying on the ground near them and struck Gagliano across the back with it.

As KB raised the pole to strike the VPSO again, she was tackled by another Selawik resident. Other people nearby came to the scene as well and with their assistance, Gagliano was able subdue the two individuals.

The two were charged with Assault IV, Resisting Arrest, and Minor Consuming ALcohol, the juvenile, KB, received an additional charge of Assault II on an Officer.

Gagliano received only minor injuries in the incident.

Norell was transported to the Kotzebue Jail.

The female juvenile was transported to Nome where she was turned over to the Juvenile Detention Center there.