Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Alaska's News Source reviewed home surveillance video of the final moments of 34-year-old Kristopher Handy's life before he was shot and killed by Anchorage police officers early Monday which paints a different picture, as compared to how the shooting was described by the Anchorage Police Department.

Police said they were called to the apartment on the 7100 block of Bearfoot Drive around 2:15 a.m. Monday for a disturbance in one of the units between Handy and a woman.

In a 33-second surveillance video obtained by Alaska's News Source and timestamped beginning at 2:38 a.m., Handy can be seen walking toward the front of the building, yelling obscenities and holding a long gun by his side.

A police loudspeaker can be heard, in part, addressing Handy.

“Anchorage Police Department. Come out ... Kristopher Handy. Put your hands in the air ... Hands up.”

Handy is seen walking down a short flight of stairs, his body illuminated by light from the apartment complex.

He stops and faces police with the gun still visible, pointed downward at his right side. He doesn't appear to raise the gun in the video that was provided to Alaska's News Source.

At least 10 shots can be heard as Handy immediately collapsed to the ground, where his body laid, according to neighbors, for several hours.

The video is in contrast with the narrative Anchorage Police Department gave to reporters on Monday morning in a news conference.

According to police, the officers approached the apartment in two teams, and Handy “raised a long gun towards the officers” before they fired their guns at him.

“Four officers discharged their weapons, striking the adult male once in the upper body — at least once in the upper body,” Chief Designee Bianca Cross said during a Monday media briefing.

After watching the video, Alaska's News Source reporters requested an interview with Anchorage police, pointing out that the surveillance video does not appear to show Handy raising his gun toward officers.

Thursday afternoon police released a statement, in part, saying “We take all OIS incidents very seriously. It is important to us to notify the public in a timely manner when an OIS occurs and to give a synopsis of events as we know them to be at the time. During the press conference we gave the morning of the shooting, we made a statement that was based on the initial account of a witness. Part of that witness' version was that the suspect had raised a long gun towards the officers. As true in all cases, as the investigation progresses and more information is obtained, the more we understand the circumstances surrounding the event. Sometimes what we learn matches what we initially believed to be true and sometimes the facts that develop take the investigation in an entirely new direction.

“Video is prevalent today. It is easy to believe that video tells the entire story however that assumption is untrue. It's important to remember that video does not capture many details to include what happened before the video was activated, what happened after the video was terminated, and what happened outside the view of the camera. It also does not capture the human element of those involved to include their perception, what they see, what they hear, and what they know.

“We understand there may be questions due to the circulating video. This is an ongoing investigation, and our involved officers deserve due process. After the Office of Special Prosecutions (OSP) has concluded the criminal portion of the investigation, and APD's Internal Affairs has concluded the procedural portion, we will be able to address any outstanding questions.”

When asked for an on-camera interview Thursday, an APD spokesperson responded that the department will not be granting any interviews, “as the criminal investigation is ongoing by OSP (Office of Special Prosecutions).”

Alaska's News Source spoke with a woman — who wished to remain anonymous — who says she posted the video online at the request of Handy's family.

“I had very clear camera footage that shows him from the bottom of the steps, going down the deck, going down the steps, and standing at the end of our sidewalk that shows that no point in that timing did he point that gun, so it was disheartening to hear that they felt the need to lie,” the anonymous neighbor said.

Neighbors said police had been called to Handy's apartment several times over the years for various disturbances.

A search of online court records shows that Handy had several criminal charges, including assault charges in June 2023 to which he pled guilty, and a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge in August 2023, which was pending at the time of Handy's death.

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2024/05/16/he-never-pulled-gun-up-neighbors-release-video-man-shot-killed-by-anchorage-police/

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