Snowmachining Fugitive
Jason Douglas Black, 26
(KOTZEBUE, Alaska) - At approximately 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 11, the subject of an extensive manhunt in the Northwest Arctic, Jason Douglas Black, turned himself into Alaska State Troopers in Noorvik, peacefully ending a four-day search for the suspected rapist. Once in custody, Black was transported to the Kotzebue Regional Jail Facility that night and was booked on two separate $25,000 warrants - one charging him with first-degree sexual assault for the original crime that occurred in Kiana on Dec. 7, and another charging him with felony third-degree and misdemeanor fourth-degree misconduct involving weapons from an incident in Noorvik.

Because of the seriousness of the situation, Alaska State Troopers responded with multiple additional resources, including snowmachines and seven members of the highly-trained Special Emergency Reaction Team, to join the search for Black on Dec. 11. The Alaska Wildlife Troopers' aircraft section transported over a dozen troopers, snowmachines and fuel to the two villages hundreds of miles from urban Alaska. The villages were the bulk of the search was conducted, Noorvik and Selawik, opened their schools and offered to feed those who joined the search if needed until it ended. Two agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined the search on Dec. 9. The Kotzebue Police Department sent officers to Noorvik to assist on Dec. 11. The North Slope Borough stood ready to launch a helicopter to join the search once the

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weather in its area cleared. However, the suspect was in custody prior to deployment of the helicopter.

Alaska State Troopers wishes to extend a thank you the different entities involved both from within the villages and the law enforcement community. They mobilized quickly to capture an armed and dangerous man who was running loose in a remote and large area that was unfamiliar to many who joined the manhunt. The response was an accomplishment in itself and it was done safely and in remarkable time. AST went into the situation with the mindset that we would continue the search until Black was captured.

"I believe it was largely due to the pressure from this additional response to search for Black, and the help from outside the Department, that were critical in apprehending Black without incident," said Alaska State Trooper Capt. Steve Arlow, C Detachment Commander, the detachment that encompasses Western Alaska to include the Northwest Arctic.

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