INFORMATION RELEASE

On 07/07/2019, at about 3:31 PM, the Juneau Police Department received multiple traffic complaints on a black truck that was driving recklessly in the area of Mendenhall Loop Road and Egan Drive. The callers reported the vehicle was driving well under the speed limit, swerving in the roadway and almost going into the ditch, as well as, driving through intersections without stopping for red lights. The vehicle was described as an older model black Chevrolet pickup, with a refrigerator in the back, and no tailgate.

Officers located the black truck at the intersection of Egan Drive and Mendenhall Loop Road. The vehicle was stopped at the intersection for a red light, in the outbound lane. The officers had not yet turned on their emergency lights to stop the vehicle, when it suddenly drove through the intersection on a red light. Officers immediately activated their emergency lights and attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver of the black truck slowed down, but did not stop. Officers continued to follow the vehicle at low speeds as it drove outbound on Egan Drive, continued on Glacier Highway, past Auke Lake, and then turned onto the back side of Mendenhall Loop Road.  The driver of the vehicle continued driving dangerously by going into the oncoming lane of travel, driving over sidewalks, and almost striking other vehicles.

Near the intersection of Mendenhall Loop Road and Glacier Spur Road, assisting officers attempted to deploy spike strips in an effort to stop the vehicle. The driver of the black truck swerved into the stopped patrol car on the side of the road, crashing into it. The officer then deployed spike strips, hitting the back tires of the black truck. This caused the truck to begin slowing down further, but the driver still would not stop.

In the 4300 block of Mendenhall Loop Road, a gold colored SUV was parked alongside the roadway. The black truck started driving towards the gold SUV, causing the gold SUV to pull into an adjacent church parking lot to try and get away. The black truck pulled into the parking lot and continued to follow the gold SUV. It appeared to officers that the black truck was attempting to ram the gold SUV and that's when the pursuing officer pulled his vehicle in between the gold SUV and the black truck. The black truck collided against the passenger side of the officer's patrol vehicle, ending the pursuit.

The driver of the black truck was ordered out of the vehicle and detained. The driver, was the only occupant of the vehicle, and he was identified as 31 year old Juneau resident, Brandon James Gee. Gee was later placed under arrest and lodged at the Lemon Creek Correctional Center on the following charges:

• Two counts of failing to stop at the direction of a police officer, a class C felony
• Assault in the 3rd degree (against a police officer), a class C felony
• Assault in the 3rd degree, a class C felony
• Criminal mischief in the 3rd degree, a class C felony
• Action of operator immediately after accident, a class A misdemeanor
• Reckless driving, a class A misdemeanor
• Operating a vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor

One JPD officer sustained injuries to his hand while using stop sticks. The officer is expected to make a full recovery, but will be off work while his hand heals. The two JPD patrol cars sustained a total of about $7,000 in damages. The black truck sustained about $5,000 in damages during the collisions. There were no other injuries or property damages reported during this incident.