The man hired to serve as Unalaska’s new fire chief has been fired after he was charged with sexual assault in Illinois.
David “D.J.” Dunn was scheduled to arrive Monday in Anchorage before starting work on the island next week.
Instead, he was arraigned on felony charges for drugging and sexually assaulting a man who attended his going-away party.
The City of Unalaska terminated Dunn’s employment as a result of the charges.
The news came as surprise, City Manager Dave Martinson said.
Dunn had passed the city’s vetting process before he was hired last month.
“Nothing had turned up in any of the background stuff that we do,” Martinson said. “We were all shocked. I found out by an email from a reporter out of Illinois.”
Dunn worked as a fire captain and paramedic in Savoy, Illinois, but he also has experience in Unalaska.
When he was hired as fire chief, city officials called Dunn “highly qualified for the position,” citing his part-time work with Guardian Flight, a company that provides emergency medical transportation for the island.
Unalaska will resume its search for a new fire chief, Martinson said. The search has lasted about a year.
“While it’s frustrating for us, our concern isn’t for the process we’re going through,” he said. “Our concern is for the victim in this case. Hopefully, the victim will be able to overcome this as he proceeds through life.”
Dunn is due in Illinois court again April 18. He could serve up to 15 years in prison.
