JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska State Trooper was shot Monday in the community of Anchor Point, on the Kenai Peninsula, troopers said, but few details were released about what happened.
Troopers, in a statement, said they were looking for a man in connection with the incident, who they deemed to be armed and dangerous. The shooting occurred around 1 p.m. in the downtown area, the statement said.
The trooper was taken to an Anchorage-area hospital and was in fair condition, troopers said.
Troopers asked drivers to not pick up hitchhikers in the Anchor Point area.
A section of the Sterling Highway near Anchor Point was closed temporarily Monday evening, according to an alert on social media from the borough’s emergency management office.
Anchor Point, known for its scenery and sports fishing, is about 14 miles (23 kilometers) northwest of Homer and has a population of about 2,100.
Students at an Anchor Point school were released to their parents and guardians Monday, said Pegge Erkeneff, a spokesperson for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. The school had been on “stay put” mode earlier in the day, and the school had been working with law enforcement, according to a district post on social media. Troopers aided in the dismissal of students, Erkeneff said.