Press Release

Anchorage Man Sentenced to Serve 39½ Years in Prison for Attempting to Kill Police Officer

December 12, 2016

(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) On Friday, December 9, 2016, Superior Court Judge Michael Wolverton sentenced 28 year old Aaron Sullivan to a total of 39½ years in prison for attempting to kill an Anchorage Police Officer in October 2014. Sullivan’s sentence followed his conviction for attempted murder in the first degree, misconduct involving weapons and failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer in March 2016.

In October 2014, Anchorage Police Officer Michael O’Connor attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Sullivan, who had outstanding parole warrants. Sullivan refused to stop and attempted to evade Officer O’Connor. The chase winded through Mountain View and ended when Sullivan crashed into Officer O’Connor’s patrol vehicle. Sullivan then fired three shots at Officer O’Connor from a .44 revolver.The shots missed but at least one of them only narrowly missed, according to Assistant District Attorney James Fayette, the trial prosecutor.Two of Sullivan's shots struck nearby apartment buildings.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Wolverton heard statements from Officer O’Connor and members of his family.Judge Wolverton also considered a letter from the Anchorage Police Department Employee Association President Sergeant Gerard Asselin, who wrote that violence against police officers was on the rise nationwide, hinders recruitment, and causes good officers to walk away police work.

Judge Wolverton explained that Sullivan’s prior criminal record was a substantial factor in his sentence. Sullivan had two prior felony convictions involving firearms.Judge Wolverton sentenced Sullivan to serve 38 years in prison for the attempted murder, weapons misconduct and eluding charges.He also imposed another 18 months in prison from Sullivan’s 2011 probation case – for a total of 39 years, six months to serve.

CONTACT: Assistant District Attorney James Fayette at (907) 269-6300 or james.fayette@alaska.gov.

More information about the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office is available at http://www.law.alaska.gov/department/criminal/adao.html.

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.