Alaska State Troopers

Alaska State Troopers say a Nulato man was killed in a house fire on Feb. 4. Officials say 62-year-old Rudolf John Peters died in the fire, reported just after 4 a.m. A joint investigation by the Alaska State Troopers and the Life Safety Inspections Bureau was conducted. Trooper spokesperson Megan Peters says AST is also investigating the cause of the fire, but no foul play is suspected.

A California man was pronounced dead Saturday morning near the Trident cannery in Akutan, according to Alaska State Troopers. Troopers said 31-year-old Simon Gatpan, of Santa Clara, Calif., was “found unresponsive on the beach near the Trident cannery,” Saturday around 8:25 a.m. According to troopers, he was a cannery worker. Few details were initially released surrounding Gatpan's death, and troopers wrote in a Sunday dispatch that his body will be sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy to determine cause of death.

Alaska State Troopers say “foul play is suspect,” connected to the death of a Minto man Thursday morning in the village about 130 road miles from Fairbanks. A village health worker found 26-year-old Jordan Baker at a residence where Baker stayed the night but did not live there, according to troopers. Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Beth Ipsen says, “at this point, it appears to be an isolated incident and we're waiting on autopsy results to determine the cause of death.” On Thursday, state investigators drove to Minto to collect evidence and Baker's body will be flown to the Medical Examiner's office in Anchorage and testing should be done in the next few days.

A truck stopped near Homer for not having outside rear-view mirrors led to two arrests Friday by Alaska State Troopers, who say the driver was under the influence of “Spice” synthetic marijuana and his passenger had violated drug-related probation conditions. According to a Monday AST dispatch, troopers pulled over the 1997 GMC Jimmy at about 4:45 p.m. Friday, at roughly Mile 169 of the Sterling Highway. In an email to Channel 2, AST spokesperson Megan Peters says Homer man Samuel Reece, 19, was behind the wheel.

by Channel 2 News staff Tuesday, May 11, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- State troopers say that a church that had re-opened recently after burning down two years ago in the northwest Alaska village of Selawik was intentionally set ablaze Saturday night. In December 2007 fire destroyed the Friends Church. Alaska State Troopers say the building was intentionally set on fire Saturday night. Troopers say someone entered the church at about 8 p.m., and set Bibles and flags on fire in front of the pulpit.

Thanksgiving comes around every third Thursday in November and the Alaska State Troopers are prepping to bust DUI drivers. Alaska State Troopers will be conducting extra traffic stops on the lookout for drunk drivers, speeders, aggressive drivers, and people not wearing their seat belts. This is part of troopers anti-DUI campaign that is focused on reducing the number of major-injury or fatal collisions. During Halloween enforcement , troopers issued more than 400 citations without responding to a single fatal crash.

Update: On Tuesday morning, Alaska State Troopers identified the 9-year-old shooting victim as Spencer Polty of Pilot Station. Next of kin was notified. A 9-year-old boy died after being shot in the chest on Friday afternoon in Pilot Station, according to Alaska State Troopers. The boy was shot by another 9-year-old boy. The two were arguing when one shot the other with an air rifle. The victim was transferred to the Pilot Station Health Clinic, where workers performed CPR, but the boy succumbed to his injuries.

A Nikiski man died in a fire Saturday morning, according to Alaska State Troopers. Soldotna troopers responded to the structure fire on Duke Street in Nikiski, the home of 54 year-old Timothy Blaine. Blaine was found in the snow near the burnt structure and was unresponsive, says AST. Medics confirmed he was deceased. Troopers say at this point in the investigation, State Fire Marshals believe the fire originated from an internal heat source inside the home. Troopers ask that anyone with information regarding this incident contact the Alaska State Troopers in Soldotna at 262-4453.

by The Associated Press Wednesday, July 14, 2010 JUNEAU, Alaska -- Alaska State Troopers are investigating the death of a 37-year-old man found on a Ketchikan beach. Steven J. Seley, Jr., of Ketchikan was found Tuesday afternoon at Neets Bay. Coast Guard Petty Officer Lindsey Basquin says the crew of a tugboat spotted the man lying face down and pulled up to the shore to administer CPR. The Coast Guard responded with a boat and Guardian Flight Air flew to the scene.

A North Pole man was killed Friday evening while transporting a bulldozer near Cantwell, according to Alaska State Troopers. Troopers said 72-year-old Donald Kiehl was driving a D6 Caterpillar bulldozer when it had “fallen through the ice on a pond between Gold Creek and Stephan Lake,” around 5:30 p.m. Friday. Troopers were notified around 6:20 p.m. and Kiehl was presumed dead on the scene. The troopers investigation found that a “crew of men were transporting equipment and machinery to the Stephan Lake Lodge to do some contract work,” and as the crew crossed a low mountain, the bulldozer “broke through the ice on an alpine lake and sank.” According to troopers, people on scene were able to retrieve Kiehl from the water and attempted CPR on him, however “he was unable to be resuscitated.” His body will be sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy and troopers wrote, “No foul play is suspected at this point but investigation is continuing.” Stephen Lake Lodge is located 140 air miles from Anchorage near the Talkeetna Mountains and has been around since the late 1960s.