INFORMATION RELEASE

The Juneau Police Department received a letter yesterday from the State of Alaska Department of Law, Office of Special Prosecutions, regarding the officer-involved shooting that occurred on December 25, 2024, on Trout Street. The investigation concluded that the law enforcement officer was legally justified in his use of deadly force during this incident. The State of Alaska will not pursue criminal charges in relation to the use of deadly force.

Video footage from the officer-involved shooting is being released by the Juneau Police Department today. Three of the videos being released are from the body-worn cameras of Juneau Police Department officers who were on scene. One body-worn camera was activated multiple times, creating a 16-second audio and visual freeze in one recording.

The incident began as an investigation into a report of a disturbance at the Valley Breeze-In, where Ashley Rae Johnston had threatened the caller with a hatchet.

When Juneau Police Department officers arrived on scene, Ashley Rae Johnston was standing in the parking lot with a hatchet in her hands. As the first officer exited his patrol vehicle, she immediately began walking directly toward him. He issued repeated verbal commands for her to put the hatchet down. As a second officer approached the scene, Johnston continued moving forward while holding the hatchet and yelling “shoot” multiple times.

The first officer called out for emergency backup and continued repeating commands for Johnston to put the hatchet down. She did not comply and continued moving forward and yelling. A Taser was deployed and struck Johnston. On the video, the viewer will see a burst of flames as the Taser strikes a lighter worn by Johnston that was hanging in front of her chest. The Taser impact did not stop Johnston. As a third officer arrived on scene, Ashley Rae Johnston walked rapidly toward the first officer in a threatening manner. The officer discharged his firearm and Johnston was struck. Lifesaving efforts were performed by Capital City Fire/Rescue. Ashley Rae Johnston was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Juneau Police Department extends its condolences to Ashley Rae Johnston’s family.

The videos may be accessed on the Juneau Police Department website. Video content and language may not be suitable for all viewers. Some content has been redacted to ensure the right to privacy of witnesses and those others directly involved in the incident.

Link: https://juneau.org/police/oisinformationreleasedec2024