PALMER — Alaska State Troopers said two people were arrested Tuesday following a pursuit that included a shot fired at a patrol vehicle.
Wasilla resident Daniel Buckwalter Jr., 24, and Houston resident Autumn Duczek, 41, were arrested on multiple charges including attempted murder.
Troopers and Wasilla police were notified of a BMW sedan driving erratically around 9:30 a.m., troopers said in an update Tuesday afternoon. Police tried to stop the car in Wasilla but the driver refused to pull over and a pursuit began, troopers said.
“At one point during the pursuit, the occupants of the sedan fired a gun at a marked Alaska State Trooper vehicle, striking the patrol vehicle near the Trooper,” the update said.
The pursuit continued north on the Parks Highway until the BMW went off the highway near Millers Reach Road in Houston and both people fled on foot, troopers said.
They were found hiding in an old aircraft by the Troopers’ SWAT unit members just after noon and taken into custody, troopers said.
The search for the pair prompted a roughly two-hour closure of the Parks Highway, which reopened around 1 p.m., according to troopers.
Troopers on Tuesday morning said they and the Wasilla Police Department were “actively searching for a person they believe is armed and dangerous” in the area of Millers Reach Road and the highway. They had encouraged residents to lock their doors and stay inside.
Buckwalter and Duczek are both facing charges of attempted second-degree murder, weapons misconduct, criminal mischief and assault. Buckwalter is facing additional charges of driving under the influence of controlled substances, reckless driving and failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer.