Homer Volunteer Fire Department medics treated and transported the injured child to South Peninsula Hospital, where the child was later medevaced to an Anchorage hospital, said Fire Chief Bob Painter. Painter did not have further details on the child's condition.
At about 6:05 p.m. Wednesday, police and marshals with the Alaska Fugitive Task force tried to serve a federal arrest warrant on Anderson, also known as Brandon Deitzman. Anderson, of Duluth, Minn., was wanted for drug conspiracy charges out of Duluth. Anderson and the children were in a car at the east end of the airport parking lot at the time of the shooting.
Homer Police said when police and marshals tried to arrest Anderson there was an exchange of gunfire. Police did not identify how many officers were involved or their names. One marshal was involved, said U.S. Marshal Randy Johnson of Anchorage, but he would not identify the marshal.
Police and marshals would not provide any more details on the shooting. A man who identified himself as a U.S. marshal at the crime scene Thursday night refused comment.
Troopers were still investigating as of noon Thursday and did not have further details.
The incident happened shortly before an Era Aviation flight arrived in Homer at 6:30 p.m. A group of Homer High School choir members and adult chaperones was at the airport waiting to leave.
U.S. Marshals in Anchorage last week received information from marshals in Duluth, Minn., that Anderson was suspected to be on the Kenai Peninsula. Anderson was wanted on drug conspiracy charges involving methamphetamines, cocaine and marijuana, Johnson said. He did not know if Anderson was involved in trafficking drugs to Alaska.
Marshals and police requested the Alaska State Troopers Alaska Bureau of Investigation to conduct an investigation into the shooting.
"This was particularly appropriate where it involved the Homer Police Department and the marshals. We both believe the Alaska State Troopers were the agency that should do the investigation," Johnson said.
Investigators and crime scene investigators from Soldotna, Palmer and Anchorage were at the scene Wednesday night. No troopers were involved in the incident.
Beyond a short press release, Homer Police did not release any more information. Police and marshals referred further questions to the troopers.
Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.
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