2 Troopers Charged With Assault During an Arrest
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- Created on Friday, 01 November 2024 14:17
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By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A grand jury in Kenai has indicted Alaska state troopers Joseph Miller and Jason Woodruff on first-degree assault charges after they severely injured a local man while trying to detain him. The troopers had misidentified the man as someone subject to an arrest warrant.
The indictment was announced Thursday by the Alaska Department of Law. First-degree assault, a class A felony, carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a presumptive sentencing range of 7-11 years.
Woodruff and Miller are scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 12.
The two were previously indicted for fourth-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
When that lesser indictment was announced in August, it was an extraordinary act: Police in Alaska rarely face criminal prosecution for actions taken on the job.
But in a news conference, James Cockrell, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Public Safety, said that body camera footage made it clear that charges were warranted.
“When I reviewed this video, I was totally sickened by what I saw,” Cockrell said in August.
It was not immediately clear why prosecutors presented the case to jurors for a new indictment. A spokesperson for the Department of Law declined comment, citing the ongoing nature of the case.
“The Criminal Division always continues to evaluate our cases, even after charges are filed. The indictment represents a reassessment of the case, and the grand jury determined the higher charge was warranted,” said Deputy Attorney General John Skidmore in a prepared statement on Thursday.
A spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Public Safety said on Thursday that Miller and Woodruff remain employed by the department but have been off duty since Cockrell became aware of the incident that led to their indictment.
The spokesperson declined to say whether they are on paid or unpaid suspension.
Troopers’ union contract with the state says that “When a member is indicted … the member shall be placed on Authorized Leave Without Pay (LWOP) or allowed to use accrued personal leave pending the conclusion of the criminal proceeding.”
“The Alaska Department of Public Safety continues to fully cooperate with the Office of Special Prosecutions as they prosecute this case,” said the spokesperson, Austin McDaniel. “The alleged actions of Joe Miller and Jason Woodruff do not represent the work that the Alaska State Troopers do every day to protect Alaskans and ensure public safety.”
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