Anchorage police wanted a special team trained to minimize violence to confront the shooting suspect who injured a patrol officer

In investigating the fatal shooting at an Anchorage homeless encampment last Thursday, police concluded that the suspect was unlikely to walk away peacefully if confronted by police – and they were right.

At a news conference Wednesday, Anchorage Police Chief Sean Case released this and other new details about the manhunt for the suspect, who was carried on a bicycle, and the subsequent shooting that resulted in the seventh police-involved shooting incident since mid-May.

The investigation and manhunt began last Thursday morning after 48-year-old Carl Washington was killed near a homeless encampment on 5th Avenue.

Because of the increased risk, the department decided Friday afternoon to withdraw its regular patrol units from the search and instead deploy its investigative support unit, a subset of SWAT members, Case said.

“Their sole job is to resolve situations that are considered high-risk with as little violence as possible, due to the special training, equipment and tools they have,” he said.

But not long after that decision, a 911 caller reported two homeless men who said they were being chased by someone with a gun near Ship Creek.

“We wanted the Investigative Support Unit to respond based on their capabilities,” Case said. “But if we get a 911 call saying we have an active threat, do officers have to respond immediately? Then the patrol division will handle that call.”

Patrol officers met the 911 caller. Case said she saw the suspect nearby. He fled on a bicycle and the officers followed him.

They caught up to him, and Case said the suspect got off his bike. Officers gave him orders, but he shot the officers once. Officer Ryan Kelley returned fire with five shots. The suspect fell to the ground, sat up, and fired twice more. Kelley fired five more times.

The suspect suffered life-threatening injuries. None of the officers were injured.

Case said two of the suspect's shots struck an occupied civilian vehicle.

Police have not yet publicly released the name of the injured suspect or filed charges. Case said that information would be released when the department is close to filing charges. Case would not say if and how the suspect, the victim and the homeless camp were related.

Four of the department's seven shootings this year ended fatally.

Jeremy Hsieh covers Anchorage with a focus on housing, homelessness, infrastructure and development. You can reach him at[email protected]or 907-550-8428. Read more about JeremyHere.