Violent moment during arrest becomes focal point for wider patterns of racism

Protesters denounce arrest of an Alaska Native man who was hospitalized, while a Black man filming incident says he was racially threatened

Protesters gather outside the Juneau Police Department station on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in response to the arrest of a man three days earlier who was hospitalized with a head injury sustained while being arrested. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

By Mark Sabbatini

Editor

This article has been updated with a changed headline and corrected AP style references to race.

A brief confrontation between a Black man and two Alaska Native people that resulted in one of the latter being hospitalized when he was thrown to the ground by a police officer is turning into a broader clash over people connected to the incident calling out historical patterns of racism.

Police mistreating Alaska Native people was an oft-voiced theme at a protest Saturday by about 75 people at the Juneau Police Department station in Lemon Creek, three days after Christopher Williams Jr., 49, was flown to an Anchorage hospital with head injuries received when he was being arrested.

At the same time, accusations of racist actions against Black people in Juneau — but not by police — are being voiced by Ibn Bailey, 52, who filmed a video of the encounter widely shared on social media, stating he was facing a threat from Williams and a companion.

Police and court records state the incident began with Marisa Didrickson, 47, who is Alaska Native, yelling racist slurs at Bailey in front of the Douglas Public Library. Williams then became aggressive toward an officer when ordered not to intervene on the woman’s behalf, and "resisted and was taken to the ground," according to a JPD statement.

The officer, whose name has not been released publicly, has been placed on administrative leave. JPD has requested an external investigation of the incident.

Several of Williams’ family members were at Saturday’s protest. Christina Austin, a cousin, said he is still being treated at the hospital.

"At this time, we know that he is up and knows he’s in the hospital, and he is aware where he is at this moment," she said. "They are going to keep him in the hospital for a period time right now. That's all we have right now."

Drummers perform a song during a protest outside the Juneau Police Department station on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in response to the arrest of a man three days earlier who was hospitalized with a head injury sustained while being arrested. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

Another cousin, Pamela James, echoed assertions of other speakers who said the incident is indicative of a broader pattern of actions by law enforcement toward Alaska Native people in Juneau.

"We're not all here just for what happened to Chris, but this has happened multiple times in our town and none of us don't seem to be feeling safe," she said.

"Our community needs to feel safe. These people need to be trained over on how they arrest people when they're under the influence. So I thank you again for all being here, not just for my family but for our community. We need to make our community safe again."

A more formal declaration of concern occurred Friday when the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, noting Williams is a tribal citizen, asked JPD Chief Derek Bos and Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon for an independent review of the incident, a meeting with tribal leadership, "transparency in findings and outcomes," and "a renewed commitment to culturally respectful public safety."

"Based on what has been shared by witnesses and community members, the level of force used during the arrest raises serious questions and demands a full, transparent investigation," the tribe’s statement notes.

City Manager Katie Koester, in a prepared statement Friday, wrote, "CBJ understands the deep community concern over this tragic injury. We recognize that the incident and associated video footage may be deeply upsetting, confusing, and overwhelming."

"We appreciate our community’s outreach and shared concerns, and are taking steps to review our own policies, procedures, and practices to ensure they are consistent with JPD values to preserve human life while meeting its mission to protect public safety," she stated.

Much of the community’s reaction was in response to the video shared by Bailey. But in an interview Friday, he said he hasn’t experienced racial mistreatment by police during his 30 years in Juneau, including incidents where he has faced accusations. He also defended the officer arresting Williams and said the purpose of releasing the video was to show racism that is being directed at Juneau’s Black population by some residents.

"According to the U.S. Census, there's less than 300 Black families that live in Juneau, in a place that's 31,000," he said. "So we're a minority within a minority within a minority — we're a micro ethnic group here in this town. For us to actually grow and thrive, and live here and be part of the community, we have to be extra careful."

"We tell our kids to make sure that they're behaving themselves. Make sure to say ‘yes sir’ or ‘no ma'am,’ to have respect for authority, (and) have respect for other people because we can't afford to have any misunderstandings or mishaps."

Bailey, a business owner and former Juneau Board of Education candidate, said he hopes he can be involved in the discussions tribal leaders are seeking with the city. He also said that despite what happened during the encounter with Williams, "I hope that he has a speedy recovery."

"I hope that all of us can go away from this unfortunate occurrence with a better understanding of each other," Bailey said.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.