Troopers say Sterling woman, 60, fired handgun toward homes during disturbance

Alaska State Troopers arrested a 60-year-old Sterling woman Tuesday after, they say, she threatened someone with a handgun at a neighboring home and fired it multiple times, once toward several residences. She is held without bail.

Troopers responded at about 3:15 pm to a disturbance at a Sterling residence where shots were fired, according to the trooper dispatch. Investigators found that the woman had gone to a neighboring home and threatened someone with a handgun, the dispatch says. During the disturbance she fired the gun multiple times, once in the direction of several residences.

Troopers say she was impaired by alcohol. The dispatch does not mention injuries.

She was arrested on charges of misconduct involving weapons in the second and fourth degrees and third-degree assault. Under Alaska law, second-degree weapons misconduct covers, among other acts, knowingly firing a gun at or toward a home. It is a class B felony. Fourth-degree weapons misconduct covers having a gun while impaired by alcohol or drugs and is a class A misdemeanor. Third-degree assault covers recklessly putting someone in fear of imminent serious injury with a weapon. It is a class C felony.

The dispatch notes that the charges are accusations and that she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

She was taken to Wildwood Pretrial Facility, where she is held without bail until her arraignment. At an arraignment, held in open court, the charge is read to the defendant, who is asked to enter a plea. Alaska court rules require an arrested person to appear before a judicial officer within 24 hours of arrest, absent compelling circumstances.