When should a police officer shoot? Expert speaks out after fifth police shooting in Anchorage in 2 months

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The municipality of Anchorage has seen five police-involved shootings in two months, which is certainly not the norm for Alaska’s largest city.

Dr. Alex Del Carmen is a criminologist and has trained around 15,000 police officers over the past 27 years. He teaches at the FBI National Academy. He provides insights into when deadly force is justified.

“In the law enforcement community, use of force training is standardized, although there are some variations among individual law enforcement agencies across the United States,” Del Carmen said.

Del Carmen said use of force training is essentially the same across the country, although policies, procedures and protocols vary from community to community.

“If the person merely raises the weapon – and the officer perceives an immediate, deadly threat – the officer is indeed permitted to use deadly force to neutralize the threat,” he explained.

However, lethal force should not be the first step, Del Carmen said, suggesting that standardized training should emphasize non-lethal force.

“(Look for) pressure points, maybe use a baton, maybe resort to pepper spray, maybe even use, you know, some type of stun gun,” Del Carmen said.

Alaska’s News Source reached out to the Anchorage Police Department on Tuesday seeking clarification on the department’s policies. The department responded with its manual of policies, regulations and procedures.

There is a section titled “Responding to Resistance” which states in part: “When force is necessary, the level of force used should be directly proportionate to the level of resistance or imminent threat to officers or others.”

ANCHORAGE POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICY

It is the policy of the Anchorage Police Department to provide sworn officers with clear procedures regarding the use of force in the performance of their duties. The safety of innocent persons and officers is of the utmost importance.

The primary responsibility of officers of the Anchorage Police Department is to protect the lives and property of citizens. Consistent with applicable law, officers may use only as much force as is necessary and reasonable to bring a situation under control, make an arrest, overcome resistance to arrest, or protect themselves or others from harm. When force is necessary, the level of force used should be directly proportionate to the level of resistance exerted or the imminent threat to the officers or others.

There is a compelling public interest that officers authorized to use force do so in an objectively reasonable manner and do not violate civil rights guaranteed by our Constitution and applicable law. Officers who use excessive or unjustified force undermine the trust of the community they serve, undermine the legitimacy of police power, and hinder the agency’s ability to provide effective law enforcement services to the community.

Officers who use excessive or unauthorized force may face disciplinary action, possible criminal prosecution, and/or civil liability. Use of force is only permitted when it is objectively reasonable and for a lawful purpose. Accordingly, the Anchorage Police Department will thoroughly review and/or investigate all uses of force by members to ensure compliance with all legal requirements and this policy.

Del Carmen says what’s happening in Anchorage is an anomaly. Five police-involved shootings in two months are too many.

“If you talk to someone from New York, they’ll tell you that in New York City, this usually happens within a couple of days, right?” he said. “But in a place like Anchorage, given the crime rate here and some things I know as a criminologist, in the state of Alaska, no.”

“There are cases where police officers have to use deadly force because that’s part of their job, but I’m telling you, those are rare exceptions, they’re not the rule. That’s why we need to train police officers to de-escalate the situation when possible, and we need to teach police officers to recognize those signs of mental illness when they’re present during an operation.”

Del Carmen also believes that APD should release footage from body cameras and dashboard cameras more promptly.

“I would say to Anchorage: Do what the rest of the country does and start releasing these videos. That will build public confidence in law enforcement and provide the transparency that is enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.

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