FAIRBANKS—Sgt. Allen Brandt of the Fairbanks Police Department died Friday afternoon from complications that followed surgery to remove shrapnel from his eye.
Acting Police Chief Brad Johnson announced Brandt's death at a 5:30 p.m. news conference.
"Fairbanks lost a hero today," he said, visibly holding back tears. "I'm sorry to have to let you know that earlier this afternoon Sgt. Allen Brandt lost the fight. He had surgery yesterday and suffered complications afterward which continued to deteriorate throughout the day and from which he was unable to recover."
Brandt, who had been with the Police Department for 11 years, was shot five times Oct. 16 while responding to a report of gunfire a few blocks from the police station. He was released from an Anchorage hospital in time to walk into a Fairbanks City Council meeting to a standing ovation Monday night.
He returned to the hospital Thursday for scheduled surgery to have shrapnel removed from his left eye.
About a dozen police officers and dispatchers attended Friday's news conference at a police briefing room filled with Halloween decorations and thank you notes to the Police Department. Johnson stood with Fairbanks city Mayor Jim Matherly as he made the announcement.
"Our community, the department, our family, our friends are hurting. We thank you for all the support you've given us so far and we ask for more for his family, for your department and for yourselves. Let's help each other heal and work through this together," Johnson said.
Police chaplain Steve Sabens led the group in a prayer before the news conference ended. There wasn't immediately any information about plans for a memorial service.
Brandt is survived by his wife, Natasha, and four children.
A candlelight vigil in honor of Brandt was scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Fairbanks Police Department headquarters, located at 911 Cushman St.
The man accused of shooting Brandt — Anthony Jenkins-Alexie — is in custody at Fairbanks Correctional Center. Before his Oct. 18 arrest, Jenkins-Alexie made a written confession to shooting Brandt in which said he shot the police officer seeking vengeance for the lives of friends and relatives killed by Fairbanks police, according to the criminal complaint against Jenkins-Alexie.
Fairbanks District Attorney Greg Olson said late Friday that his office is considering upgrading Jenkins-Alexie's first-degree attempted murder charge to murder.
Jenkins-Alexie is also charged with first-degree assault, second-degree theft of a weapon, first-degree vehicle theft, two counts of evidence tampering with physical evidence, third-degree weapons misconduct for being a felon in possession of a gun, and second-degree weapons misconduct for firing a gun at a building.
Contact Outdoors Editor Sam Friedman at 459-7545. Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMoutdoors.
