State identifies man, officers in fatal Utqiagvik police shooting

The Alaska Bureau of Investigation identified the man killed in a May 23 officer-involved shooting in Utqiaġvik as 46-year-old Gordon Killbear Jr., an Utqiaġvik resident.

The bureau also identified the North Slope Borough police officers who fired their weapons as Sgt. Riley Weik, a two-year veteran of the department, and Officer Christopher Green, a 10-month veteran.

The shooting happened after North Slope Borough police responded at about 4:09 p.m. May 23 to a report of a domestic violence assault, according to the Department of Public Safety.

Police found the male suspect barricaded behind a door inside a residence. As officers breached the door, the man emerged with a knife. Both officers fired their handguns, DPS said.

The man was taken to a local hospital and later declared dead. DPS said one officer received a minor knife injury.

The Alaska Bureau of Investigation is handling the investigation at the request of North Slope Borough police. Once the investigation is complete, the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions will independently review it.

Source: Alaska Department of Public Safety Daily Dispatch, updated May 26, 2026, https://dailydispatch.dps.alaska.gov/Home/Display?dateReceived=5/26/2026%2012:00:00%20AM