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APD Officer Involved Shooting: Autopsy Shows Drugs, Alcohol in Shane Tasi

July 17, 2012|By Corey Allen Young | Channel 2 News

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — After being shot and killed by an Anchorage police officer in Mountain View almost six weeks ago, toxicology reports show Shane Tasi was under the influence of alcohol and synthetic drugs.

The report shows Tasi, 26, also had a blood-alcohol content in his system that was twice the 0.08 percent legal limit to operate a motor vehicle when he approached Officer Boaz Gionson with a 39-inch broken broom handle on June 9.

Police say the combination of the marijuana and synthetic drug, which could be either Spice or K2, along with the alcohol explains a lot about Tasi's violent behavior that night. APD says synthetic drugs can cause high blood pressure, vomiting, and hallucinations.

“The detectives were perplexed because this was apparently out of character for Mr. Tasi to act in this way, and ultimately this could explain at least part of that,” said APD spokesperson Lt. Dave Parker.

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Just last month, Gionson was cleared by the state Office of Special Prosecutions and Appeals for the use of deadly force. Police say an internal review of policy will be done but not released to the public.

The Tasi family’s attorney, Phillip Weidner, told Channel 2 that they will file a civil rights lawsuit because “the killing of their father and husband shocks the conscience.”

Members of the Polynesian community and the Police Minority Task Force say they will hold a community town hall meeting Thursday night at the Loussac Library to talk about ways to change how officers use deadly force.

Email Corey Allen Young

KTUU's Neil Torquiano contributed to the intial story.

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