Residents downtown petition city to remove 'armed encampment' following death of bear

No charges have been filed or citations issued for shooting of yearling earlier this month, according to Alaska State Troopers; investigation ongoing

An aerial view of the encampment bordering Capital Ave. in an undated photo. On the left is the 30-unit Fosbee Apartments. (Photo by Jared Curé)

By Jasz Garrett

Juneau Independent

This story has been updated with additional information from the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and the Juneau Police Department.

A young black bear shot out of a tree in the area of Willoughby Avenue on July 9 is drawing attention to the neighborhood as a whole, with nearby Juneau residents calling it a public safety hazard.

Residents above Capital Avenue have petitioned the City and Borough of Juneau to remove what they describe as an “armed encampment” on city property bordering the street of Capital Avenue.

“The encampment’s garbage piles, a problem of many years, are a primary attractant for bears that haunt surrounding neighborhoods,” Peter Metcalfe said. “The neighbors’ complaint to CBJ is that the problem has escalated beyond an obnoxious public nuisance to a serious public safety issue.”

Metcalfe lives in a neighborhood near the Governor’s House. He sent a letter Thursday to CBJ and other property owners in the area of the “armed encampment” on Capital Avenue.

“To effect a lasting change, we need your help,” Metcalfe wrote Friday on Facebook, seeking more people to join the petition. 

He told the Independent he had received replies from Alaska Electric Light and Power and Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska officials Friday indicating the concerns are being taken seriously. As of Friday afternoon, Metcalfe hadn’t received a response from the city.

“We think this shooting incident could provoke a permanent change that the city would have the tools to deal with,” he said. “I’m hopeful.”

Chaylee Éesh Richard Peterson, president of Tlingit and Haida, was an eyewitness to the bear shooting earlier this month.

“It was pretty hard for people to see and witness. They had to put the bear down on the spot,” he said. “To take matters in your own hands and to endanger the community because you wounded a bear I think is pretty irresponsible.”

In an interview Monday, he said public safety has been a concern in the area for years but has now escalated due to the trash attracting bears.

“We've witnessed violence, you know, fights, different activities. So leads us to not feel very safe there for our staff,” Peterson said, referring to staff based at the Andrew Hope Building. “Police have to come and arrest folks in our parking lot. So there's a lot of unsavory activity in that neighborhood.”

He said tribal citizens and community members have to navigate the situation every day, with security escorting employees to their cars in the nearby parking lot after dark.

Peterson added the area is a mix of tribal- and city-owned property. He said since Alaska is a Public Law 280 state, if somebody poses a threat to public safety, law enforcement can take action.

Peterson said the tribe's housing authority and other entities have conducted community cleanups at the properties before.

“I think we have to ask, though, what about the landowners that are creating the trash? At what point are they responsible?” he said.

Peterson did not add his name to the petition, but said he is supportive of Metcalfe's effort due to health and safety concerns.

A map shows City and Borough of Juneau-owned property near Capital Avenue downtown. There is no ownership information for the triangular lot. (City and Borough of Juneau parcel viewer)

Metcalfe said among the most concerned are residents of the 30-unit Fosbee Apartments. He said the shots fired at the bear were between the encampment and the hillside apartment building. 

Officials from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game stated the incident with the yearling bear could have been avoided if trash had been secured.  

The bear had to be euthanized by Fish and Game as a result of being mortally wounded earlier this month. Hannah Manninen, an assistant wildlife biologist with the department, described the bear dying under a trailer when she arrived on scene. 

Based on the preliminary investigation, it couldn’t be determined what type of firearm or pellet rifle the bear was shot with, according to Juneau Police Department Deputy Chief Krag Campbell. The firearm was not located.

“As far as the encampment in the area of Capital Ave, JPD is working with Community Development to address these concerns,” Campbell wrote in an email Monday.

The Alaska Wildlife Troopers have an active investigation into the incident, according to Austin McDaniel, a Troopers spokesperson. As of Friday, no charges have been filed, nor have any citations been issued.

“We conduct defense of life property shooting investigations regularly across the entire state, and they all have unique and individual circumstances that are reviewed along with any physical or digital evidence that might exist to determine if criminal charges are appropriate,” McDaniel said.

• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.