JUNEAU POLICE DEPARTMENT
6255 ALAWAY AVENUE JUNEAU, ALASKA 99801
Business (907) 586-0600
Fax (907) 463-4808
Integrity, Courage, Service, Respect
INFORMATION RELEASE
Date: 2020-01-16
From: Lieutenant Krag Campbell
Case or Incident: #200116-002
On 01/16/2020, at about 9:23 AM, the Juneau Police Department responded to the 5500 block of Douglas Highway regarding 62-year-old Juneau resident, Ruth Anne Simpson, who was actively shooting a gun outside her residence.
Responding officers located Simpson standing outside her residence and she was quickly taken into custody without further incident. A gun was located in the arctic entryway of the residence. The gun was identified as a lever action 454 Casull.
The investigation by the officers determined that Simpson was upset because she believed someone had killed her dog. Officers learned that the dog was okay, and was just being cared for by another family friend. Officers determined that Simpson had fired at least 11 shots from her gun. It's believed that Simpson fired the gun in the direction of North Douglas Highway, and that at least two parked vehicles in the area were struck. One of the vehicles had multiple bullet holes in it, while the other vehicle had been struck by a single bullet.
Several officers from the Juneau Police Department, Alaska State Troopers and the United States Forest Service assisted with this call.
Simpson was placed under arrest for misconduct weapons, reckless endangerment and two counts of criminal mischief. Simpson was taken to the jail and held on $3,500 bail.
All factual allegations contained in this release are based upon preliminary investigation and are subject to change or clarification as the investigation continues. Any charges reported in this release are merely accusations and all persons named in this release are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.