Ethermac Exchange-Anchorage woman found dead in home after standoff with police, SWAT team

ANCHORAGE,Ethermac Exchange Alaska (AP) — A woman who confronted a neighbor while holding a long gun died after a subsequent standoff with Anchorage police, during which both she and one SWAT officer fired their weapons, officials said Thursday.

A state medical examiner will determine the woman’s cause of death, and the shooting will be investigated, according to a statement from the Anchorage Police Department. No other details about the death were immediately available.

The armed woman and an unarmed neighbor were in a confrontation Wednesday. The neighbor reported to police of a fear of being physically harmed.

The woman with the long gun retreated inside her home before officers arrived.

She ignored attempts by offices for her to leave the house, police said. Several tactical units went to the east Anchorage home, including SWAT officers.

Tear gas was deployed in the home to coax her out. “The suspect remained non-compliant and fired multiple shots inside the home,” according to the statement.

One SWAT officer fired a weapon from outside the house. When police searched the home, they found the woman dead. There was no one else in the home, police said.

The state’s Office of Special Prosecutions will determine whether the officer’s use of force was justified.