Press Release

Pagopago Beefcake Lelilio Convicted of Attempted Murder of a Police Officer

October 23, 2018

(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) On October 23, 2018, an Anchorage jury convicted Pagopago Beefcake Lelilio, of attempted first degree murder of an Anchorage Police Officer.  In addition, Lelilio, 30, was also convicted on two counts of third degree assault and one count of third degree misconduct involving a weapon for being a felon in possession of a concealable firearm.

According to the evidence at trial, on July 17, 2018, APD received a report of a gunshot on a residential street in Mountain View. Officers arrived on scene. As they began to investigate and secure the area, Lelilio jumped out of a parked truck and began running away. Lelilio continued to run as multiple officers commanded him to stop.

Two officers chased after Lelilio, and a third officer cut him off from in front. Two of the officers were able to drag Lelilio to the ground.  As they struggled, Lelilio fired a shot from a .40 caliber pistol concealed in his jacket pocket. The shot landed close enough that one of the police officers was able to feel dirt from the bullet impact spray him in the face.  The officers were able to pin Lelilio's wrist in place as he struggled against them in an effort to regain control of the pistol: a third officer was able to deploy a taser while a fourth grabbed the pistol away.

Superior Court Judge Erin Marston, who presided over the trial, scheduled Lelilio’s sentencing for February 21, 2019. He faces a maximum sentence of 99 years in prison for the attempted murder conviction, and a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the assault and felon in possession charges. He will be held without bail pending sentencing.

CONTACT: Assistant District Attorney James Klugman at (907) 269-6300 or james.klugman@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.