ANCHORAGE – Two Anchorage men were arrested and charged with assault and attempted murder following a fight over an unpaid bet Sunday night.
According to a statement from the Anchorage Police Department, the 19-year-old victim called police from a Bragaw Street gas station around 11:30 p.m. after fleeing from his roommates, 25-year-old James Smith and 23-year-old Kendrick Mathews.
Police said the victim told officers the three had been arguing in a trailer at 1545 South Hoyt St. when Smith “produced a handgun, pointed it at the victim’s head and pulled the trigger.”
The loaded gun did not fire, and Smith and the 19-year-old struggled over the weapon. At one point, the victim said Mathew joined the fray and struck him with his fist.
Police said the victim was ultimately able to take the gun and make a break for the door. As he ran from the trailer, Smith chased him and struck him with a metal handle from a floor jack, but the victim was able to escape.
Both Smith and Mathews were arrested and charged with assault, while Smith faces an additional charge of attempted murder. Smith is being held without bail at the Anchorage Jail, while Mathews’ bail was set at $15,000 plus a third-party custodian.