Skinner Indicted for Attempted Murder of Police Officers

From the Attorney General’s Office:

Jan. 12, 2023 (Anchorage, AK) – An Anchorage grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging 37-year-old Jessie Russell Skinner with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree assault, and two counts of third-degree assault for the Dec. 30, 2022, alleged attempted murder of two Anchorage Police Department officers on West 29th Place in Anchorage.

These charges are only allegations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the prosecution must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Skinner is in the custody of the Department of Corrections. His bail is set at $50,000 cash performance plus conditions of release, including a court approved third-party custodian and electronic monitoring. He faces up to 99 years for the attempted murder charges, 10 years for the attempted first-degree assault charges, five years for the third-degree assault charges, and one year for the fourth-degree weapons misconduct charges. Skinner is scheduled to be arraigned before the Anchorage Superior Court on Jan. 13.

Update--10:10AM--12/31/22
At 03:02 PM on December 30, 2022, officers assigned to Day Shift Patrol responded to the 800 block of 800 West 29th Place in reference to reports of shots fired. Upon arrival, the suspect fired his weapon through the front door at officers.
 
The suspect, 37-year old Jessie Skinner, was uncooperative and then barricaded himself inside the residence for several hours; SWAT and Crisis Negotiators responded to the scene.  Negotiators attempted to make contact with Skinner for quite some time without success.  After an arrest warrant was obtained for Skinner’s arrest, SWAT began making announcements to include less lethal and gas warnings. 
 
The suspect did initially open the front door but then he shut it again.  At 08:46 PM Skinner emerged from the building but continued to ignore Officer’s commands. K9 Rylin was deployed and contacted the suspect in the upper body.  The apprehension allowed officers to approach the suspect and take him into custody. 
 
Skinner was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for the dog bite. Afterwards he was transported to the Anchorage Police Department for questioning by detectives.  At the conclusion of the interview, Skinner was remanded at the Anchorage Jail on two counts of Attempted Murder, two counts of Assault III, two counts of Assault I, Misconduct Involving a Weapon IV, and Reckless Endangerment.
 
One Officer was transported to a local hospital and was treated for non-life threatening injuries. K9 Rylin was uninjured.
 
Thank you for your cooperation last night while we were on scene.
 
All roads have been reopened.

Update—08:50PM—12/30/22
The suspect has been taken into custody.

SWAT will be clearing from the area shortly but police will remain on scene while the residence is processed.

Thank you for your cooperation this evening.

Update--4:30PM--12/30/22
Officers with SWAT and the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) have responded to the 800-block of W. 29th Place for an on-going investigation.

29th and 30th Avenues are closed between Arctic and Spenard. Arctic Blvd is closed between 32nd Ave and Benson Blvd. Please follow officers’ instructions if you are in the area to include evacuation of your home if necessary. If you do not need to be in the vicinity, avoid it and seek alternative routes until further notice.
 
Depending on the actions of the suspect and/or suspects, our response may include using a variety of tools, the drone, and tactics to apprehend them. This could involve the deploying of gas; nearby citizens with respiratory illnesses/sensitivities should remain inside and make sure doors and windows are closed.

We ask both the public and the media to refrain from posting/publishing photos and/or video of the scene until the situation is over. Showing tactical positions and movements in these types of situations can put the public and officers’ safety at risk.
 
We appreciate the community's cooperation and understanding during our response. We will keep you informed of any new developments.
 
Original--3:38PM—12/30/22

There is a large police presence in the 800 block of W. 29th Place for an ongoing investigation.
 
There are no road closures currently. Please avoid the area. If you must be in the area, please follow officer instructions. Thank you for your cooperation.
 
Depending on the situation, our response may require using a variety of tactics and tools, to include the drone.

APD Case: 22-42102


Update—08:50PM—12/30/22
The suspect has been taken into custody.

SWAT will be clearing from the area shortly but police will remain on scene while the residence is processed.

Thank you for your cooperation this evening.

Update--4:30PM--12/30/22
Officers with SWAT and the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) have responded to the 800-block of W. 29th Place for an on-going investigation.

29th and 30th Avenues are closed between Arctic and Spenard. Arctic Blvd is closed between 32nd Ave and Benson Blvd. Please follow officers’ instructions if you are in the area to include evacuation of your home if necessary. If you do not need to be in the vicinity, avoid it and seek alternative routes until further notice.
 
Depending on the actions of the suspect and/or suspects, our response may include using a variety of tools, the drone, and tactics to apprehend them. This could involve the deploying of gas; nearby citizens with respiratory illnesses/sensitivities should remain inside and make sure doors and windows are closed.

We ask both the public and the media to refrain from posting/publishing photos and/or video of the scene until the situation is over. Showing tactical positions and movements in these types of situations can put the public and officers’ safety at risk.
 
We appreciate the community's cooperation and understanding during our response. We will keep you informed of any new developments.
 
Original--3:38PM—12/30/22

There is a large police presence in the 800 block of W. 29th Place for an ongoing investigation.
 
There are no road closures currently. Please avoid the area. If you must be in the area, please follow officer instructions. Thank you for your cooperation.
 
Depending on the situation, our response may require using a variety of tactics and tools, to include the drone.

APD Case: 22-42102