Prosecutors Justify Fatal Shooting After Man Attacked His Roommate

Alaska's Office of Special Prosecutions determined that North Slope Borough Police Department Officer Donovan Chappell was justified in his use of deadly force when he shot and killed 41-year-old Akugaq Leavitt outside a Utqiagvik residence on Feb. 24, 2025. The independent review, completed June 13, 2025, closed more than three months of formal scrutiny that drew in investigators from across the state.

The Office of Special Prosecutions review examined the actions of three NSBPD officers: Chappell, John-Ashton Swope, and Mark Pelia. Prosecutors found Officer Chappell justified in his use of deadly force against Leavitt, and cleared Officers Swope and Detective Pelia for any verbal commands or encouragement directed at Chappell during the encounter.

Officers had responded to the residence that morning on reports of a domestic violence assault and made contact with Leavitt outside the home. Leavitt had an outstanding warrant related to a previous domestic violence incident. Investigators determined Leavitt was believed to be holding another individual hostage inside the home while assaulting her, with the incident rising to the level of an alleged kidnapping, assault, and attempted murder. When officers made contact with Leavitt outside the residence, he refused to follow commands and ran back inside, where the alleged victim remained. Leavitt was pronounced deceased at the scene. One person inside the residence was transported to the hospital for injuries believed to have been sustained during the assault.

The three-step review process that led to the justification finding illustrates how NSB handles every officer-involved shooting, and what residents can expect in terms of transparency and accountability after any such incident.

NSBPD Chief of Police Jeffrey Brown requested the Alaska Bureau of Investigation, a division of the Alaska State Troopers, to lead the external investigation. That request aligned with past procedures the department has followed in officer-involved shootings. Once the ABI investigation concluded, the case moved to an independent review by the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions. Brown's department also committed to conducting its own internal review after the OSP determination, adding a third layer of accountability to the process.

Chief Brown stated the department was focused on fully cooperating with the ABI's investigation and would provide updates as appropriate. The department's Feb. 27 public identification of Chappell as the officer who fired the shot, just three days after the incident, reflected that stated commitment.

For Utqiagvik residents, the "justified" determination carries a specific legal weight: it means prosecutors concluded the use of deadly force did not constitute a crime under Alaska law and that no charges will be filed against the officers involved. The path from an officer pulling a trigger to that finding runs through two independent agencies, the ABI and the OSP, before the borough's own internal review adds a final check. That sequence is the standard against which every future officer-involved shooting in the North Slope will be measured.