FPD Press Release - Officer Involved Shooting on Elliott Highway

Media Contact: PIO Yumi McCulloch, 907-388-0909 ymcculloch@fairbanks.us
DATE: February 12, 2019
INCIDENT: Officer Involved Shooting-Elliott Highway
CASE #: 19-512

On Saturday, February 9th at 8:04 pm, FPD officers responded to Walmart for the report of a theft. A male asked to see a .45 caliber gun then stuffed it into his sweatshirt and fled the store. The suspect ran through the parking lot and attempted to carjack a driver at gunpoint. The driver refused to give up the vehicle and the suspect fled the scene. It was reported that the gun did not have a firing pin and had
a trigger lock on it. Officers were unable to locate the suspect that evening. The investigation of the incident was turned over to FPD Detectives and they were able to identify the suspect.

Earlier this morning, Detectives secured a $20,000.00 warrant for Robbery I, Assault III, Theft III, Misconduct Involving a Weapon III for the Walmart suspect.

At approximately 3:04 pm today, the Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center (FECC) received a report of an armed carjacking at 19 College Road. A female reported that the suspect ordered her out of her vehicle at gunpoint, took the vehicle and fled. FPD Officers and Detectives responded to the area in search of the vehicle. FPD SWAT was conducting scheduled training and was also able to respond.

At 3:33 pm, FECC received a report of an armed robbery at 29 College Road. The suspect smashed display cases with a gun, stole the contents, then ordered the employee to the ground at gunpoint and fled. The description of the suspect was similar to the carjacking at 19 College Road.

At 3:38 pm, an FPD Detective spotted the stolen vehicle northbound on the Steese Highway. Officers pursued the vehicle up the Elliott  Highway to Hilltop Truck Stop through whiteout conditions. At Hilltop, the suspect turned around to head back into Fairbanks. FPD Officers and Alaska State Troopers began stopping traffic northbound on the Elliott Highway and deployed spike strips to prevent the suspect from  returning to Fairbanks.

At 3:51 pm, due to the deteriorated road conditions and the high potential for a vehicle crash, FPD requested an ambulance to be staged at the Fox weigh station. At 3:55 pm, the suspect went off the road at mile 3 to avoid a semi-truck that was stopped in the roadway. The suspect exited the vehicle, came towards the officers with a handgun and pointed it at them. The four FPD officers fired. Officers provided first aid until the Steese Volunteer Fire Department ambulance arrived. The suspect died at the scene.

The suspect in all three events has been identified as GARRETT JAMES EBENAL (DOB 1/19/1991). Next of kin has been notified.

EBENAL was a convicted felon with a no bail probation warrant that was issued on 1/4/19.

The Alaska State Troopers Bureau of Investigations was called to the scene to assist FPD Detectives. A handgun was recovered at the scene and was identified as the gun stolen from Walmart. The trigger lock had been removed and the magazine was loaded.

The names of the officers involved will be released after 72 hours. They have been placed on paid Administrative Leave for a minimum of three working days.

The Fairbanks Police Department would like to thank the Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center, Alaska State Troopers, and Steese Volunteer Fire Department for their assistance in this incident.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact Detective Malloy at amalloy@fairbanks.us, Detective Thompson at athompson@fairbanks.us, or call (907) 450-6550.