Rookie Anchorage officer among three who fired in fatal shooting

Three Anchorage police officers fired their weapons in a fatal shooting on May 19, 2026, near Bragaw Street and Reka Drive. One of the officers, Justin Miller, was hired less than a year ago.

Officers shot 33-year-old Emil McCord shortly after midnight. Police had responded to reports of a man firing rounds in the air from a handgun.

Miller was hired in 2025. The other two officers, Jacob Jones and Alexander Roman, were hired in 2016 and 2017.

Officers arrived at Bragaw Street and Reka Drive around 12:03 a.m. and observed that McCord was armed, according to APD. McCord did not follow commands. Three officers fired. McCord was struck.

Officers began life-saving measures immediately. McCord was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No officers were injured.

APD identified McCord on May 22, 2026, after next-of-kin notification procedures were complete. The department released the names of the three officers 72 hours after the incident, per APD practice.

The three officers were placed on four days of administrative leave, standard practice for officer-involved shootings.

The state Office of Special Prosecutions will review the officers' use of force to determine whether it was justified. Once that investigation is complete, the findings will be available for public review. APD Internal Affairs will then review the officers' actions to confirm whether there was any violation of policy.

APD will hold a second news conference during the week of May 25, 2026, to provide more information.

The case number is 26-13500.