Community Describes APD Officer as an "Outstanding Young Man"

Officer Boaz Gionson shot and killed Mountain View man

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By Alexis Fernandez

ANCHORAGE - Tuesday night Anchorage Police released the name of the officer who shot and killed a man near his home in Mountain View.

According to APD, 26-year-old Boaz Gionson joined the department in November of 2007.

Gionson graduated from Bartlett High School in 2002 and was an all-state running back for the football team.

He also won a championship under former coach John Jessen.

Jessen says Gionson was an upstanding person and always did the right thing.

“Tremendous kid, asset to our school, had a 4.0 GPA all four years of high school and an outstanding young man,” he said.

The chief of police will decide when Gionson can return to duty.
 

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Don't forget said on Wednesday, Jun 13 at 10:02 PM

He is also a good shot, right. FFS

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Jason said on Wednesday, Jun 13 at 11:12 PM

He is also a coward, or trigger happy fool. Man with a stick verss a DRAWN gun, hmm. I miss the real men that used to be in uniform, putting their life on the line to take down the bad guys and bring them to justice. No they jsut murder people holding a stick So does that mean if someone pulls a baton on me, you know a STEEL stick, I get to blow them away too. After all we have all the rights an offcer does, they are acting on behalf of the citizen, using the same arrest powers we all have, I know I have placed several people under arrest

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Steve said on Wednesday, Jun 13 at 11:37 PM

Hey Jason, it's pretty easy to talk big about a person you don't know plus just read an article and assume everything went the way it did. Sure a stick and a gun.. but you don't know the exact situation.. the tension level, the emotions running through, the threat level. Be in that cop's shoes for a second.. you think you would be cool headed not to fire or take action if a potential attacker threatens you. Or wait, let me guess, you would shot the leg or the arm like on tv. Geez give me a break. You think cops would try to shoot at small target points and risk missing and hit bystanders. I just hate it when people see this in black and white. There's so many other factors to consider.

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max david said on Thursday, Jun 14 at 11:01 AM

I know this officer. He is not a trigger happy fool. And, he is definitely not a coward. He is a calm, deliberate, and thoughtful person. And, he's a good person. There is no doubt in my mind that if he felt that he had to shoot, then shooting was warranted.

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Alaskan907 said on Thursday, Jun 14 at 12:36 PM

So because he was an A student and a football star means he couldn't make a mistake? I’m sure Gionson is a nice guy and all of that. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t make a tragic error that he is somehow exempt from. Look, I know being a cop isn't easy. But as a society, we trust the police to make reasonable decisions about use of force. This was a bad judgment call by Gionson that tragically cost somebody their life. He has to face the consequences just like any of us would.

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True Justice said on Thursday, Jun 14 at 1:46 PM

I agree with Jason in totality. Officers these days are given non lethal options which are NEVER..i repeat N E V E R! utilized. If this young man posed such a threat, why not incapacitate him with a shot to the Leg, Arm and so on, or taze him. Just because someone is good person means Jack and $h!t in terms of what people are capable of doing. This officer (as honorable as he is i'm sure) made a HORRIBLE! split second decision that has led to an unnecessary fatality. and for that he needs to face the consequences. I have not heard one D@mn word from you pro Boaz defenders of the mother and child that now are without a father FOREVER!. But obviously you share no empathy, and feel that only Boaz's life and family are carry any value...SICKENING! at best.

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jmak said on Thursday, Jun 14 at 9:28 PM

Only ignorant fools would make assumptions about the officer's actions. Neither you nor I know what happened. It is a wise person who waits for all of the information before judging. Which is why we have a legal system. Anyone who judges the officer now is not just ignorant, he or she is a fool and should learn self-restraint before making comments. Not one of us has walked in his shoes. If it were you, and you should feel grateful that someone else is brave enough to be that person on the line who is NOT you, you would want people to give you the benefit of the doubt and restrain untamed tongues.

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LH said on Thursday, Jun 28 at 11:50 PM

A STICK verses a GUN, pulling the trigger verses swinging a stick. Now we know as they said that the officer didn't do anything wrong, this is wrong taking someones life just because he was holding a stick, did he have to die why couldn't the officer shot his hand or leg, he was shot 3 times because of a stick. It is not a steel stick it is a STICK, if the officer felt that he had to shoot, than why shot him 3 times, did he fell on the first time, second time, or did he shot him on his chest first time than shot him on his leg the second time? I know the police is out there putting their life on the line. I hope that they are not too proud of the uniform and the pistol that they carrying around. This is not a good example to anyone that look at this as a reason or a right to do the same to someone else.

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