State prosecutors in Alaska have decided not to file criminal charges against a Anchorage-based police officer who was involved in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old girl named Easter Leafa.
Prosecutors arrived at their decision after concluding that officer Alexander Roman’s use of deadly force was legally justified.
The conclusion follows a comprehensive report from Senior Assistant Attorney General John Darnall of the state’s Office of Special Prosecutions.
“Given the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident, when evaluated under relevant Alaska law, this office will not be filing criminal charges against Officer Roman in this matter,” the report said. “Officer Roman’s use of deadly force against Leafa was legally justified under Alaska statutes as ‘self-defense’ or ‘defense of others.'”
Officer Roman responded to a call on August 13, made by one of Leafa’s sisters, who claimed that Leafa was trying to stab her with a knife.
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While the sister later stated that Leafa was trying to hand over the weapon, the situation prompted an immediate response from the police.
The Anchorage Police Department released a series of videos of body camera footage showing the fatal encounter between officers and the teenager in an East Anchorage apartment according to the Anchorage Daily News.
The newspaper reported that the body camera video captures a tense encounter in which family members voice concerns that the armed police arriving at the scene will escalate the situation.
Leafa family attorney, Darryl Thompson, criticized the police’s handling of the incident, arguing that officers entered the home with their weapons drawn and ignored the family’s attempts to calm things down.
“There was nothing going on, no one was at risk,” Thompson said, per the Anchorage Daily News. “And instead of establishing a rapport, deescalating, they bark commands…That’s not crisis intervention.”
According to the Office of Special Prosecutions report, Leafa did not comply with commands to drop the knife and advanced toward the officers, prompting Roman to fire his weapon.
The review determined that Leafa was about 5 yards from the officers and took three steps forward before Roman shot her.
Easter Leafa had been on the verge of starting her junior year of high school, having recently moved from American Samoa. According to her family, she still adjusting to life in Alaska, including trying to learn English.
Her death ignited public outcry, leading to prayer vigils and a large march to police headquarters, where hundreds gathered to demand accountability.
This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press