North Slope Police shooting in Utqiagvik under state investigation

North Slope Borough police shot and killed Cortez Olemaun Jr., 25, at a home in Utqiagvik early Thursday. State investigators say he pointed a rifle at officers.

Officers were sent to the residence at 11:37 p.m. Wednesday on a report of a disturbance. According to a preliminary account from the Alaska Bureau of Investigation, they arrived to find Olemaun standing in an exterior doorway with a rifle. He went back inside, then a short time later pointed the rifle at officers, who fired. He was taken to a hospital in Utqiagvik and pronounced dead. His next of kin have been notified, and his body was sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office.

The borough police department called Alaska State Troopers for assistance at 12:55 a.m. The Bureau of Investigation is leading the inquiry. When it finishes, the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions will independently review whether the shooting was legally justified — the standard two-step process for police shootings in Alaska. The office weighs whether an officer reasonably perceived an imminent threat of death or serious injury.

The officer who fired is on administrative leave.

Utqiagvik went through the same process last year. Borough officers shot and killed Akugaq Leavitt during a domestic violence call in February 2025. The Office of Special Prosecutions completed its review that October and found the officer's use of deadly force justified.