The Juneau Police Department has released the name of the officer who shot and killed a Juneau resident last week on Christmas Day.
According to a news release shared by police on Thursday, Officer Jonah Hennings-Booth fired the fatal shot. Officers Anthony Bates and Geoff Davis were also present during the incident but did not fire their weapons.
The person killed was identified by police last week as 30-year-old Ashley Rae Johnston. According to family and people who knew them, they went by the name Raye and used multiple gender pronouns.
The fatal shooting happened early Christmas morning in the parking lot of the Mendenhall Valley Breeze In convenience store. According to police, Hennings-Booth and the two other officers responded to the location after receiving a call that Johnston was allegedly screaming and threatening people while wielding a hatchet.
Police later described it as a “axe-like blade on one side with a hammerhead on the other.”
Police say Johnston did not comply with officers when they ordered them to put down the weapon. Police say they continued to advance toward the officers even after officers tased them. Hennings-Booth then shot Johnston.
Hennings-Booth has worked for JPD for close to six years. Both Bates and Davis have less than two years of experience in law enforcement. All three are patrol officers and will all be back on duty by Friday.
Johnston was pronounced dead at the scene. According to family and friends, Johnston had been unhoused throughout most of their life.
Their death is the second shooting fatality involving police in Juneau within a year. In July, police shot and killed 35-year-old Steven Kissack downtown.
Kissack was also a member of Juneau’s unhoused community. His death sparked public outcry, vigils and protests by Juneau residents. In September, the state’s Office of Special Prosecutions ruled the shooting was justified and cleared all officers involved of any criminal charges.
Police body camera footage of last week’s shooting has not been released. Police say they intend to release it to the public “as soon as practicable” but did not give a firm timeline.
The Alaska Bureau of Investigations is now investigating the shooting to determine if lethal force was necessary. State prosecutors will then independently review if the officer was legally justified or will face any criminal charges.