A state review found Alaska State Trooper Gabriel Holmann was defending himself and others when he killed 67-year-old Kirk Medak at South Kasilof Beach in July.
A state Office of Special Prosecutions review found that Trooper Gabriel Holmann was justified in shooting 67-year-old Kirk Medak at South Kasilof Beach in July. Medak threatened several groups at the popular dipnetting site with a sword and then later approached troopers with a 7-foot harpoon, according to a letter notifying troopers of the decision.was written by Assistant Attorney General Daniel Shorey and sent to Col. Maurice Hughes, the director of the troopers, on Aug. 22.
Whitby told dispatchers that he “was familiar with Medak” and knew it was him making the threats, according to the review. He told Holmann, who was on his way to the scene, that Medak is “extremely mentally unstable” and had previously threatened to shoot troopers, has multiple trespasses and was the respondent in a protective order, but otherwise did not have any active arrest warrants, the review said.
“Medak came towards Trooper Holmann with the harpoon in hand, again poised as if he was about to throw it,” the review said. “Trooper Holmann fired his pistol three times as Medak got to the front quarter panel of the vehicle.” A witness told investigators during a later interview that “Medak looked like he was ready to ‘impale’ someone,” the review said. “He believed the trooper was a second or a second and a half from getting stabbed by Medak.”
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