Anchorage police officer Alexander Roman will not be charged, since he was “legally justified in his use of deadly force against Easter Leafa,” according to the report from the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions.
“Today, the Office of Special Prosecutions completed its review of an officer-involved shooting on August 13, 2024, involving Easter Leafa, 16, and Anchorage Police Department Officer Alexander Roman,” the Department of Law said in a statement.
“The review determined that Officer Roman was legally justified in his use of deadly force against Easter Leafa. The incident occurred after APD received a 911 call alleging Ms. Leafa had threatened a family member with a knife and responded to the report,” the department said. The Office of Special Prosecutions investigates all such officer-involved shootings in the state.
After the incident in August, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance jumped to the conclusion that the police officers were wrong to shoot the teen, although she was a large person who started coming at them with a large knife. She said the shot should never have been fired.