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Steven Kissack

Gender : Male

Age : 35

Race : White

Date : 07/15/2024

Location : Front Street

City : Juneau

County : Juneau Borough

State : Alaska

Agency : Juneau Police Department

Officer(s) :Chris Gifford

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Unhoused man killed by police

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On July 15, 2024, Steven Kissack, a well-known unhoused man in Juneau, Alaska, was shot and killed after a confrontation with police officers. Around 1:00 PM, officers from the Juneau Police Department responded to a report of an assault involving Kissack on Front Street. According to the police, Kissack produced a knife and failed to comply with their commands. To de-escalate the situation, officers deployed beanbag rounds, but the confrontation escalated further when Kissack allegedly charged at them. Several officers opened fire, fatally shooting him.

Kissack had a history with law enforcement, including a 2021 arrest for shoplifting in which police claimed he was in possession of a bladed weapon, a charge he disputed. The details surrounding that case are still unclear, as records of its resolution have not surfaced.
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Community members remember Kissack as a friendly and helpful individual who had lived on the streets with his malamute dog for over a decade, supporting other unhoused individuals in Juneau. His death has sparked conversations about police interactions with the homeless community.
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The shooting is being investigated by the Alaska State Troopers, and further details regarding the incident are still under review.
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Officer Chris Gifford, the shooter officer, was previously involved in a December 2016 shooting incident where he fired at a Jeremie Shaun Tinney who pointed an object resembling a rifle at officers.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://dailydispatch.dps.alaska.gov/Home/DisplayIncident?incidentNumber=AK24069198
https://www.juneauempire.com/news/steven-kissack-homeless-resident-known-for-cannine-companion-juno-shot-downtown/
https://www.petersburgpilot.com/story/2024/07/18/news/homeless-man-killed-by-officers-during-confrontation-in-downtown-juneau/14212.html

The Shooting:
https://www.juneauempire.com/news/steven-kissack-homeless-resident-known-for-cannine-companion-juno-shot-downtown/

2021 similar police Incident involving the same PD:
https://juneau.org/police/jpd-psa-individual-view/entry/76379

2023 news article about Steven Kissack months prior to his killing:
https://www.juneauempire.com/news/just-a-typical-christmas-eve-among-homeless-friends-on-front-street/

Friends remember Steven Kissack:
https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2024/07/17/juneau-community-members-reflect-life-well-known-homeless-man-fatally-shot-by-officers-trooper/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Steven-Kissack/100009280245117/?paipv=0&eav=AfZCXQs23UrJPJKjSCkRwQEy9xkyReuTJCSizxNYm2xw6JyIgcjskM95-ems8qgqPcs&_rdr
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Previous shooting by the same officer:
https://www.ktoo.org/2017/01/09/ag-juneau-officer-others-imminent-threat-shooting-justified/?utm_