The Alaska Department of Public Safety on Thursday identified the state trooper it says fatally shot a man in Kasilof early Monday morning as Gabriel Holmann.
Troopers say Holmann shot 67-year-old Soldotna resident Kirk Medak after Medak charged a trooper patrol vehicle on South Kasilof Beach. Two troopers responded to the beach after receiving reports of Medak wielding a weapon. Medak was declared dead at the scene.
The incident is the first fatal shooting involving a state trooper in Alaska this year.
Holmann became a state trooper last year. He was one of 17 to graduate from the department’s Public Safety Academy last summer. According to a department press release announcing the graduates, Holmann attended an “abbreviated” version of the academy because he was a “lateral transfer.”
When asked Thursday what previous law enforcement service qualified Holmann as a “lateral transfer,” trooper spokesperson Austin McDaniel said via email state law prohibits him from making statements about a state employee’s training or personnel records.
Generally, McDaniel said applicants who have qualified law enforcement training and experience recognized by the Alaska Police Standards Council may attend a shortened academy for training they’ve not already received.
Monday’s shooting — including whether either trooper attempted to use non-lethal weapons during the incident — is being investigated by the Alaska Bureau of Investigation. The Department of Public Safety denied a KDLL public information request for copies of the troopers’ body-worn camera footage.
Once the bureau’s investigation is complete, the case will be referred to the state Office of Special Prosecutions.
Alaska law requires that an officer who uses deadly force be placed on 72 hours of administrative leave. McDaniel said he could not provide information about whether Holmann had returned to regular patrol shifts as of Thursday.
