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Easter Leafa

Age : 16

Gender : Female

Race : Native Pacific Islander

Date : 08/13/2024

Location : Greenbriar Apartments, East 46th Avenue

City : Anchorage

County : Anchorage

State : Alaska

Agency : Anchorage Police Department

Officer(s) :Alexander Roman

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police in mental health crisis

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/13/2024, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Anchorage police responded to the Greenbriar Apartments on East 46th Avenue after a family member reported that 16-year-old Easter Sally Leafa was threatening relatives with a kitchen knife during a domestic disturbance. Family members later said Leafa had recently moved from American Samoa, spoke limited English, and had retreated onto a balcony before officers entered the apartment.
Police entered the apartment and encountered Leafa holding a knife. According to the Anchorage Police Department, officers repeatedly ordered her to drop the knife. Police said Leafa then walked toward officers while still holding the knife. One officer fired multiple rounds while another officer deployed a less-lethal projectile. Leafa was struck by gunfire and transported to a hospital, where she died. Her family disputed the police response, stating officers should have allowed relatives to communicate with her and de-escalate the situation before resorting to deadly force. The shooting prompted protests and renewed criticism of Anchorage police after a series of officer-involved shootings in the city.
The Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions investigated the shooting and later concluded that the officer's use of deadly force was legally justified under Alaska law, declining to file criminal charges. Despite that finding, the Leafa family pursued civil claims against the Municipality of Anchorage.
On 04/30/2025, the Municipality of Anchorage and the Leafa family reached a settlement resolving all civil claims arising from the shooting. The settlement, publicly announced on 05/22/2025, totaled $2.11 million. Following the shooting, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance ordered an outside review of the incident and broader Anchorage Police Department use-of-force policies. The review produced recommendations for changes to de-escalation training, crisis response, and police practices, all of which the city committed to implementing. The Leafa family stated they hoped the settlement and policy changes would help prevent similar deaths in the future.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/crime-courts/2024/08/14/suspect-dead-after-shooting-involving-police-in-east-anchorage-police-say/
https://nextshark.com/anchorage-police-shooting-samoan-teen-easter-leafa
https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/05/22/211-million-settlement-reached-between-muni-family-ois-victim-easter-leafa/
https://www.muni.org/Departments/Mayor/PressReleases/Pages/Municipality-of-Anchorage-and-Leafa-family-reach-settlement--.aspx
https://alaskapublic.org/news/public-safety/2025-05-22/city-of-anchorage-reaches-2-11m-settlement-with-family-of-teenager-shot-by-police