Shots were fired at officers and a stolen SUV crashed into a police cruiser late Thursday in an incident that ended with two of three suspects in custody, Anchorage police said.
After eluding officers at least twice after an initial contact in the Mountain View area, the suspects were eventually stopped at Ninth Avenue and L Street downtown, police spokeswoman Nora Morse said in a statement Friday morning.
Three suspects ran away from the SUV. Police took into custody Alexander S. Lemana, 23, the alleged driver. They also took a woman into custody.
A second man who fled remained at large, police said. Police were looking for that man but "have little suspect information," Morse said in an interview Friday.
Police have charged Lemana with two counts of assault, misconduct involving a weapon, vehicle theft, criminal mischief and failure to stop at the direction of an officer, the statement said.
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Officers found the occupied stolen SUV at 10:24 p.m. Thursday near McCarrey Street and Mountain View Drive.
"The vehicle eluded the officers as they tried to stop it," the statement said. "Officers attempted to block the vehicle at Northern Lights and Boniface but it jumped a median, crashed into a police car, and continued on Boniface.
"Officers attempted to make contact with the vehicle again on Mountain View Drive when shots were fired at officers," the statement said.
"The vehicle continued eluding officers as it drove west to L Street where (it) was eventually stopped at 9th and L Street."
Lemana was apprehended at 10:48 p.m., Morse said.
Court records show Lemana has prior convictions, including for assault and interfering with a report of a domestic violence crime in May 2015. Both were Class A misdemeanors.
Friday's police statement said no other charges had been filed in the case.
The statement did not provide the name of the woman who was taken into custody. It made no mention of injuries.
Morse said an officer in the police cruiser that was struck was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
"No specific injury that I know of right now. Just went to get checked out," Morse said of the officer.
Anchorage police are asking the public to call with tips at 907-786-8900 or 907-561-STOP.