Press Release

Brett Herrick Convicted for The Attempted Murder Of An Alaska State Trooper

July 18, 2023

(Homer, Alaska) – Today, at the conclusion of a seven-day trial, a Homer jury convicted 61-year-old Bret Herrick of Anchor Point of the attempted murder of an Alaska State Trooper.

Evidence at the trial showed that, on August 23, 2021, Bret Herrick was seen outside the Warehouse Grocery Store in Anchor Point by an employee of the Alaska State Troopers. The trooper knew that Herrick had warrants out for his arrest. Alaska State Troopers responded to the Warehouse to arrest Herrick, who had been known to carry weapons and was under Court-ordered conditions of release to not possess any weapons. The first trooper who arrived at the Warehouse attempted to place Herrick under arrest. Herrick attempted to run away, and after being tackled, pulled out a pistol that he was concealing and shot the trooper 5 times with it. He then raised his pistol towards a second trooper as that trooper was arriving at the Warehouse.

Herrick then fled into the woods. After an extensive manhunt, Herrick was arrested in the woods near his house the next morning. Thanks to heroic efforts by a Warehouse employee, emergency medical personnel, and physicians from Homer and Anchorage, all of whom testified at the trial, the trooper’s life was saved.

In addition to finding Herrick guilty of attempted murder, the jury convicted Herrick of all the other crimes he was charged with. This included three counts of assault in the first degree, one count of assault in the third degree for raising his pistol towards the second trooper, escape in the second degree, resisting arrest, and two counts of violating conditions of release for possessing the firearm, and for possessing a bayonet in violation of the Court’s condition of release that ordered him not to possess weapons.

The Court scheduled Herrick’s sentencing for November 1, 2023. Herrick faces a sentence of 7 to 99 years for attempted murder. He faces an additional sentence of up to five years for assault in the third degree, up to ten years for escape in the second degree, and up to ninety days each for the violating conditions of release convictions.

Please find below a statement from Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell on the conviction of Brett Herrick.

“I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the relentless efforts of our Alaska State Trooper Investigators, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and all those involved in the emergency response and investigation that led to this conviction. Their unwavering commitment to justice has ensured this perpetrator will be held accountable for his actions. Since Trooper Brueggeman was shot, we have witnessed a remarkable outpouring of support from our community members has been truly humbling. The unwavering support and solidarity shown by Alaskans during these trying times have been a beacon of hope for all of us. Let this conviction be a testament to our determination to uphold the rule of law, protect those who protect us, and ensure that acts of violence against law enforcement will not go unpunished.”

CONTACT: Assistant District Attorney Jon Iannaccone at jon.iannaccone@alaska.gov

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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.