Last updated at 12:35 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 22
Troopers were still at the scene Monday morning where a 38-year-old woman was killed by a trooper following a standoff.
The officer-involved shooting occurred at a home on Hawk Lane in Houston, just down the road from the high school and middle school. Alaska State Troopers left the scene just before noon, leaving the plot of land where multiple large trucks and semi-trucks surrounded the residence, a camper with two sheds attached.
AST Capt. Hans Brinke told KTVA that Patricia Kruger wasn’t in the home very long, before she grabbed the homeowner’s handgun and they are trying to piece together why she would have done so.
“Right now, it’s not likely that [they] knew each other. We are still looking into it. What her demeanor was, the interaction from what I’m taking on, this was very short-termed. I’m trying to figure out exactly how he depicted her interaction,” Brinke said.
Brinke confirmed there was one shot fired by the trooper, but stressed that AST spent a substantial amount of time trying contact Kruger inside the home.
“They were trying to make contact with her and get her to actually talk with them and they were never successful in getting that conversation,” Brinke said. “So trying to figure out what her demeanor was through conversation, that’s something we don’t know.”
Neighbors living in the nearest house said they knew Kruger and were devastated by what happened.
Updated at 9:10 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 22
Little information is available this morning about a woman who was shot and killed by a trooper during a standoff Sunday night in Houston.
Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said in an email Monday morning that many details have yet to be determined in the case, which is under investigation by the Alaska Bureau of Investigation.
She said it was not known what happened to cause 38-year-old Patricia Kruger to grab the gun, which Ipsen stated in her email was a handgun. As of right now, there is no indication Kruger knew the homeowner prior to the incident and Ipsen said no one else was injured.
Investigators are still working out a timeline of events that led up to Kruger being shot by the trooper and Ipsen said the autopsy of Kruger’s body will determine where she was shot.
Original story
A Wasilla woman is dead following a standoff with Alaska State Troopers Sunday night.
Just after 11 p.m., troopers received a report of a disturbance in Houston. According to AST, 38-year-old Patricia Kruger entered a residence off Hawk Lane after being allowed in by the homeowner.
Then she grabbed the homeowner’s gun. As the homeowner fled, Kruger fired the gun.
Troopers say a perimeter was set up for the public’s safety while they attempted to make contact with Kruger — with no success. AST said multiple shots were fired by Kruger. When she pointed the gun at a trooper, he fired his weapon. Kruger was hit with the trooper’s shot and declared deceased on scene.
Kruger’s next of kin have been notified and her body will be sent to the State Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy.
The name of the trooper involved will be withheld for 72 hours. The Alaska Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
KTVA’s Shannon Ballard contributed to this report. Follow her on Twitter (@ShannonKTVA) and Facebook for more news updates.
