Elderly man claims Alaska State Trooper used excessive force, AST disagrees

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Robert “Bob” Bodell was 71 years previous in January of 2021 when he claims a rookie Alaska State Trooper tased, maced, and struck him, after exercising his proper to stay silent.

The bodily altercation occurred after trooper Brian Glenn approached him in an SUV that had run out of fuel in the midst of the night time in rural Soldotna. Bodell claims he notified Glenn that he selected to remain behind whereas his two mates walked to his home to get fuel, and he assured Glenn they’d be returning quickly to gasoline up the car. Nevertheless, the Division of Public Security, which oversees state troopers, claims issues rapidly escalated from there and Bodell grew to become the aggressor, whereas trooper Glenn was merely doing his job.

The occasion occurred on a chilly Alaskan night time in January of 2021, near midnight. On the Sterling Freeway in rural Soldotna, Eric Haddock and his spouse Kaydee have been driving Bodell residence when Haddock’s SUV ran out of fuel. That left the three of them stranded. Haddock managed to get his car off the roadway and park on the finish of an extended non-public driveway. He and his spouse say they heard canines barking and noticed somebody inside the house come to the window, so Haddock used his cellphone as a flashlight to sign that they have been fantastic and can be proper again. Haddock says he assumed the residents understood.

“Didn’t see anyone transfer or something, simply heard loud canines, so I made a decision to level on the car and level the place I used to be going after which I walked away,” Haddock stated.

Bodell stated that as a consequence of prior accidents, he selected to stay contained in the SUV whereas Haddock and his spouse left on foot to get fuel. Nevertheless, the folks inside the home on the finish of that darkish driveway quickly known as 911 to report the incident. Krystofer Fenn, a relative of one of many owners, contacted native authorities.

“There’s suspicious flashlight exercise on the finish of our driveway, our canine goes loopy,” Fenn stated on the 911 name.

Not too long ago recruited trooper Brian Glenn was dispatched to the decision. Glenn had graduated from the Alaska Regulation Enforcement Coaching Academy six months prior and was working alone that night time. His cruiser was geared up with a touch digicam, nevertheless it was reportedly out of service on the time. He did have a tool to document audio. When Glenn arrived to seek out Bodell sitting within the passenger seat of the SUV, his audio was not recording.

In response to the Division of Public Security’s working procedures handbook, beneath Common Tips for Correct Use of Digital Recording Units, part 222.210 (A) and (B) “whereas on obligation, officers shall make each effort to digitally document their interactions with the general public throughout site visitors enforcement, citizen complaints, arrests … Officers shall start recording as quickly as sensible throughout a given state of affairs and proceed to document till the completion of the occasion, to incorporate the recording of statements. Activating the digital recording previous to contacting the general public is advisable.”

However the audio recording in Bodell’s case started someday after issues had already begun to get heated. The recording begins with trooper Glenn sternly telling Bodell, “I’m not asking.”

Quickly after, Glenn informs Bodell he’s issuing him a disorderly conduct warning. That’s when Bodell requested, “what am I being charged with?”

Glenn responds “proper now, you’re not being charged with something. Proper now I’m simply speaking to you, okay?”

Bodell claims, at that time, he had already instructed trooper Glenn who he was, the place he lived, how he had suffered a previous head damage, and that he didn’t have a driver’s license. Nevertheless, trooper Glenn’s affidavit of the occasions that night time state Bodell, “refused to offer one or establish himself.”

Glenn additionally reported smelling alcohol and recognizing a bottle of Fireball cinnamon whiskey in Bodell’s jacket pocket, which he later logged as proof. Though Bodell says he was a passenger within the car, he claims Glenn stored insisting he was the one driving. As well as, Bodell says Glenn didn’t consider he was ready for his mates to get fuel.

“Proper now it sounds to me such as you’re mendacity to me, okay,” Glenn then instructed Bodell. “Oh, some individuals are simply strolling down the road, you already know, giving me a journey. Besides that there’s no one strolling down the road.”

At that time, Bodell grew indignant and started spouting profanities on the trooper. He managed to make use of his cellphone to name Haddock on his cellphone, which he then handed to the trooper so he might confirm his story. Glenn spoke with Haddock, who did verify he and his spouse have been strolling to Bodell’s place to get some fuel. After ending the decision, trooper Glenn radioed for assist discovering the couple.

“Any items within the space, there’s two people passing the previous KSRM, certainly one of them’s claiming to be the driving force of this car,” Glenn stated over his radio.

Bodell suspected Glenn was trying to make a driving beneath the affect case, so he determined to maintain each his mouth and the automobile door shut. Glenn is heard tapping on the window and asking, “sir, sir, I’m going to want you to open the door for a minute, okay?”

Bodell says after Glenn verified his story, he anticipated the trooper to depart him alone, however says that didn’t occur,

“He wouldn’t let me train my proper to stay silent,” Bodell stated.

Inside minutes, the state of affairs turns into chaotic. Bodell loses his mood and curses on the trooper. Glenn responds, “in the event you make any extra noise, increase your voice, act a idiot, okay, you’re going to be arrested for disorderly conduct.”

In the course of the subsequent couple of minutes, Glenn’s audio captures the sounds of Bodell cursing at him as he orders Bodell to get on the bottom a number of occasions. In the course of the melee, Glenn makes an attempt to tase Bodell nevertheless it has little impact, as a result of heavy clothes Bodell was carrying. A hissing sound of mace being sprayed is then heard and Bodell screamed because the trooper struggled to carry him to the bottom. The incident report confirms Bodell was tased twice, maced, and struck within the head and face by trooper Glenn earlier than being taken to the bottom and handcuffed.

“You’re beneath arrest for assault within the fourth diploma and disorderly conduct,” Glenn tells Bodell.

Quickly, paramedics arrived to evaluate Bodell’s situation. A number of troopers additionally confirmed up and their audio recordings detailed what occurred within the moments afterward. One medic is heard relaying Bodell’s situation to Sgt. Joseph Miller, after which questions Bodell’s total well being.

“Simply so you already know he has no complaints, however he does have a bit of little bit of a busted face,” the medic stated. “I don’t know if he has acquired any underlying well being situations, I’d think about.”

Trooper Glenn then questions Miller about whether or not Bodell wants further medical consideration previous to transporting him to jail.

“I’ve acquired to take him right down to the hospital to get him a medical clear, huh,” Glenn asks.

“No, not essentially,” Sgt. Miller replies. “What’s mistaken with him? He acquired a bit of friggin’ nosebleed. Who provides a sh**?”

Bodell feels troopers cared extra about making an arrest than they did about his accidents.

“That they had my face down within the snow there, and so they by no means took me to the hospital for being knocked unconscious,” Bodell stated. “They didn’t take me to the hospital for that.”

Trooper Jacob Barker responded to Glenn’s name for help to find Haddock and his spouse. Dashcam footage signifies Barker’s cruiser reached speeds of 75 mph as he sped by Downtown Soldotna. The odometer exhibits he hit even increased speeds, as much as 97 miles per hour at occasions. Barker’s excessive price of velocity lasted for seven minutes as he maneuvered alongside darkish, snow-covered roadways, and by no means as soon as turned on his flashing overhead lights to alert residents that he was in pursuit. The frantic search to discover a couple strolling down the highway to get fuel with out utilizing overhead lights violated the Division of Public Security’s Customary Working Procedures, in response to Division of Public Security Commissioner James Cockrell.

“He was in violation of our coverage by not having his overheads and sirens there,” Cockrell stated.

Trooper Barker ultimately positioned Haddock and Kaydee strolling alongside the aspect of the highway. Barker then begins questioning Haddock, however minutes later, he seems to start interrogating him.

“How a lot have you ever needed to drink tonight,” Barker asks.

“I had a beer, like early, early early early,” Haddock responded.

“Effectively, I’m smelling loads of alcohol coming off of you,” Barker stated.

Haddock then informs the trooper, “my spouse’s been ingesting all night time.”

“Okay, effectively, simply from what I’m smelling, I’m going to say a beer isn’t sincere.” Barker stated. “There was a report of you having an alcohol bottle on you.”

“No alcohol,” Haddock replied.

Regardless of the actual fact Haddock was far-off from his car, he agreed to a subject sobriety check. That’s when trooper recruit Joseph Robles stepped in to conduct the check. Robles had graduated from the Alaska Regulation Enforcement Coaching Academy two months prior.

“When did you might have your first drink tonight,” Robles requested.

“When did I’ve my solely drink,” Haddock stated. “Gosh, round 4.”

After finishing a variety of bodily and psychological workouts, Haddock passes. Dashcam footage exhibits Robles then stepping apart to seek the advice of one other trooper.

“On this state of affairs, would I have the ability to use a PBT to see if he has any alcohol in him,” Robles requested.

A PBT is a preliminary breath check, much like a breathalyzer, used to measure the alcohol focus in an individual’s breath. The trooper then advises Robles, “so, there isn’t an arrest anyway proper? So what’s the PBT matter?”

Robles responds, “I suppose it doesn’t actually, ‘trigger I’ve to make my resolution earlier than that. It’s simply to substantiate. Okay, sh**, okay.”

After an hour and a half, Haddock and his spouse have been free to go. He feels Barker and Robles have been useless set on making a DUI arrest.

“It appeared, at that time, they have been now not all for something apart from looking for one thing to stay, a cost,” Haddock stated. “It was fairly chilly out that night. They made me wait on the aspect of the highway for over an hour and a half with my spouse.”

In the meantime, Bodell was on his method to jail. Bodell described what he claims occurred to him in a YouTube video 4 days after his arrest.

“That is what occurs whenever you train your proper to stay silent to the Alaska State Troopers,” Bodell stated.

Within the video, Bodell’s left eye is surrounded by giant black and blue bruises. On Jan. 20, 2021, the incident was reported by the Division of Public Security in a every day dispatch.

The dispatch states, partly, that Bodell “was given a disorderly conduct warning as a consequence of his continued yelling. On the time the occupant exited the car and charged towards the trooper.”

Bodell knew he’d must plead his case in court docket, however was fearful that it was his phrase in opposition to the troopers.

“Which means I’m going to die in jail for nothing,” Bodell stated in April of 2022.

However there’s extra to Bodell’s story. Six weeks after his arrest, a brand new witness got here ahead and the case took an surprising flip. For extra on that, learn half two of this investigation.

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