Police chief in Alaska charged with assaulting man at resort

A police chief in Alaska pleaded not responsible Friday to expenses that he assaulted an intoxicated man whereas he was off-duty at a resort restaurant, together with allegedly shoving the person head-first right into a wall and placing him in a chokehold.

A grand jury returned an indictment Thursday for Ketchikan Police Chief Jeffrey Harrison Partitions for felony third-degree assault. He’s additionally charged with three counts of fourth-degree assault and two counts of reckless endangerment, that are misdemeanors.

Throughout an arraignment Friday, protection lawyer Jay Hochberg entered a not-guilty plea for Partitions, who moved to Ketchikan from Louisiana in July after being employed in December 2021.

Hochberg referred to as the allegations false and defamatory.

In accordance with court docket paperwork, Alaska State Troopers responded to the Salmon Falls Resort restaurant on Sept. 10 to research a report of an assault involving a person, Partitions and Partitions’ spouse, Sharon.

Troopers believed they had been responding to an assault on the Wallses however noticed the chief exterior, apparently unhurt, and the person bleeding from his head, the paperwork stated.

Witnesses instructed investigators the person was intoxicated and inflicting disturbances all through the night. The person deliberately ran into the chair of the chief, who was off-duty on the time, and apologized. The 2 males shook fingers, in keeping with the indictment.

An hour later, the person stumbled into Sharon Partitions’ bar chair. Her husband obtained up from his seat, ran after the person and pushed him head-first right into a stone wall and put him in a chokehold, the indictment stated.

“Chief Partitions is a veteran legislation enforcement officer who was enthusiastically employed by the Metropolis of Ketchikan final 12 months. He has devoted his profession to public security, and he most definitely didn’t commit an assault because the state has alleged,” Hochberg stated in an announcement.

“The truth is, he was merely detaining a person who had dedicated against the law — and utilizing cheap pressure to take action. The allegation of extreme pressure on this case is solely false. Chief Partitions did completely nothing incorrect, and I look ahead to seeing him vindicated in court docket.”

Trial is scheduled for March. If convicted, Partitions would resist 5 years in jail.

Ketchikan Each day Information beforehand reported that Partitions was employed at an annual wage of $132,761.

Partitions labored in legislation enforcement for 25 years and was commander of a number of districts of the New Orleans Police Division earlier than arriving in Ketchikan, which is positioned on an island in southeast Alaska and is a significant cruise ship port for city-sized cruise ships coming to Alaska.

Metropolis Supervisor Delilah Walsh stated Friday that metropolis officers don’t touch upon personnel issues. She stated Partitions stays police chief whereas the town conducts an inner investigation. He’s at present on private depart, she stated. __ AP journalist Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska contributed to this report.