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William Phillips

Age : 45

Gender : Male

Race : Unknown

Date : 08/01/2026

Location : 36th Avenue and A Street

City : Anchorage

County : Anchorage

State : Alaska

Agency : Anchorage Police Department

Officer(s) :Kaden Pohl

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police vehicle crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/01/2026, at approximately 1:10 a.m., Anchorage Police Department Officer Kaden Pohl was driving a marked patrol vehicle westbound while responding to a call for service. At the intersection of 36th Avenue and A Street, Pohl’s police vehicle collided with a northbound taxicab driven by 68-year-old Cemal Sadiku. The vehicles met near the middle of the intersection and both caught fire after the impact.

Forty-five-year-old William Phillips was riding in the front passenger seat of the taxi and died at the scene. Sadiku also died. Three passengers seated in the rear of the taxi survived and were transported to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening. Pohl was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and was released by August 3.

Police Chief Sean Case said Pohl had activated the patrol vehicle’s emergency lights while traveling to the call. Case said investigators had not yet determined whether Pohl was using the siren. APD has not publicly disclosed the type or priority of call, Pohl’s speed, the traffic-light sequence or which driver had the right of way. Investigators are examining the vehicles, available electronic and roadway evidence and the circumstances under which Pohl entered the intersection. APD opened a traffic investigation and a separate internal investigation. The case number is 26-20211.

Pohl had served with APD since December 2020. On June 16, 2026, approximately six weeks before Phillips was killed, Pohl fatally shot 33-year-old Deandrea Robertson inside a confined loss-prevention office at the Walmart on Old Seward Highway. Officers had responded to a reported retail theft. During a struggle involving Robertson and three officers, Robertson drew a concealed handgun and fired. Officer Trevor Amburn was wounded in the leg, and another bullet struck the ballistic plate in Pohl’s vest. Pohl fired and killed Robertson. A third officer, Tae Yoon, suffered hearing damage and temporary vision impairment. Pohl was placed on four days of administrative leave and returned to duty while the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions reviewed the shooting.

Pohl was additionally named as a defendant in a federal lawsuit arising from a February 19, 2023 APD traffic stop. Plaintiff Brenda Boudreau alleged that officers lacked lawful grounds for the stop, broke her vehicle window, forcibly removed and handcuffed her, searched her and impounded the vehicle. A federal court dismissed the claims against Pohl and the other officers with prejudice in August 2025. The case therefore documents a prior civil allegation involving Pohl but did not result in a judicial finding that he violated Boudreau’s rights.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/08/01/apd-36th-closed-due-collision-with-injuries/
https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/08/03/police-name-2-killed-car-crash-involving-apd-officer/
https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2026/08/01/2-die-in-midtown-collision-with-anchorage-police-vehicle-police-say/
https://www.anchoragepolice.com/news/traffic-investigation-a-street-and-36th-closed
https://alaskapublic.org/news/anchorage/2026-06-25/man-killed-in-shootout-with-officer-at-anchorage-walmart-had-a-shoplifting-accomplice-police-say
https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/06/25/live-police-provide-update-walmart-police-shooting-that-left-suspect-dead-three-officers-hurt/
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/alaska/akdce/3%3A2023cv00164/71814/52/