Napakiak Man Held for Attempted Murder After VPSO Shot

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A village public safety officer in Napakiak was shot early Saturday morning, prompting Alaska State Troopers to arrive from Bethel and apprehend a suspect on an attempted-murder charge.

AST’s Bethel post received a call from one of Napakiak’s two VPSOs at 4 a.m. Saturday reporting that the other VPSO, Darren Alexie, was being treated by medical personnel after being shot by a man who was loose in the village with a shotgun.

Troopers flew to Napakiak in a state aircraft and arrived at 4:30 a.m., where they immediately located 25-year-old Teddy Johnson walking down the street with a shotgun. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with first-degree attempted murder.

Alexie was taken to the Bethel hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and released.

Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the shooting.