spacemanspiff
Senior Member
http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/4663181p-4618251c.html
Last week in Kotlik, a drunken man pointed a 20-gauge shotgun at 40-year-old Rudy Hootch and threatened to kill him, Alaska State Troopers said.
It was a first for Hootch, one of the village's police officers. It was Jan. 17 and Hootch was responding to a domestic violence call.
"He pulled that thing on me with no warning," Hootch recalled in a telephone interview from his home Friday. "I was scared. I didn't know what would happen. (I thought) I may be alive or in the hospital or in a coffin."
Like many village peace officers in rural Alaska, Hootch does not carry a firearm. "Only thing we carry is cuffs and a baton," he said.
Nor did he have much training to deal with the situation he found himself in. "We sure would like to have a training for this type of thing," he said. "But every time we go for a training it's always being canceled or something."
Hootch said he handled the situation the best he knew how. "I just tried to stay calm and ask him what he's doing with that shotgun," he said. "I tried to confront him twice to put the weapon down but he didn't."
Hootch backed off the property and called troopers in St. Marys. Troopers arrived about two hours later and arrested Darrick Teeluk, 19, after a short foot chase. Troopers say Teeluk struck his pregnant girlfriend in the face and also tried to strangle her with his hands. The 20-gauge shotgun was found with 12-gauge ammunition jammed in it, they said.
Teeluk was charged with third-degree assault, fourth-degree misconduct involving weapons, fourth-degree domestic violence assault and minor consuming alcohol. He was transported to a jail in Bethel with his bail set at $10,000.
Hootch, who started working as a village police officer about five months ago after holding the post off and on over the years, said the job can be difficult, both because of the situations you can find yourself in and because you often know the people involved and sometimes they get mad at you, especially if they're drinking, he said. Kotlik has about 600 people.
Hootch said he likes to be able to help his community but hopes to get some more training soon. He did not express plans to find another line of work, despite the scare last week.
"It's the only job I can find," he said.
Last week in Kotlik, a drunken man pointed a 20-gauge shotgun at 40-year-old Rudy Hootch and threatened to kill him, Alaska State Troopers said.
It was a first for Hootch, one of the village's police officers. It was Jan. 17 and Hootch was responding to a domestic violence call.
"He pulled that thing on me with no warning," Hootch recalled in a telephone interview from his home Friday. "I was scared. I didn't know what would happen. (I thought) I may be alive or in the hospital or in a coffin."
Like many village peace officers in rural Alaska, Hootch does not carry a firearm. "Only thing we carry is cuffs and a baton," he said.
Nor did he have much training to deal with the situation he found himself in. "We sure would like to have a training for this type of thing," he said. "But every time we go for a training it's always being canceled or something."
Hootch said he handled the situation the best he knew how. "I just tried to stay calm and ask him what he's doing with that shotgun," he said. "I tried to confront him twice to put the weapon down but he didn't."
Hootch backed off the property and called troopers in St. Marys. Troopers arrived about two hours later and arrested Darrick Teeluk, 19, after a short foot chase. Troopers say Teeluk struck his pregnant girlfriend in the face and also tried to strangle her with his hands. The 20-gauge shotgun was found with 12-gauge ammunition jammed in it, they said.
Teeluk was charged with third-degree assault, fourth-degree misconduct involving weapons, fourth-degree domestic violence assault and minor consuming alcohol. He was transported to a jail in Bethel with his bail set at $10,000.
Hootch, who started working as a village police officer about five months ago after holding the post off and on over the years, said the job can be difficult, both because of the situations you can find yourself in and because you often know the people involved and sometimes they get mad at you, especially if they're drinking, he said. Kotlik has about 600 people.
Hootch said he likes to be able to help his community but hopes to get some more training soon. He did not express plans to find another line of work, despite the scare last week.
"It's the only job I can find," he said.
