39-year-old Joseph P. Degroff was court-ordered to not have contact with a specific adult female.  The no-contact order stemmed from an incident wherein he had been charged with Assault I, Assault II, Assault III, and Assault IV.  Early in the morning on August 25, 2024, Anchorage Police learned Degroff violated that order by having contact with her the evening of August 24th.  That contact led to the probable cause necessary for officers to charge Degroff with Unlawful Contact I and Violate Conditions of Release.

At 7:37 AM on August 25th, officers saw Degroff driving an Audi near Lakeshore Drive and Spenard Road.  Officers initiated a traffic stop at W 33rd Avenue and Minnesota Drive.  Officers walked up to the driver side of the Audi and contacted Degroff who was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle.  Degroff was informed that he was under arrest and was asked to exit the vehicle.  Degroff was argumentative and non-compliant. 

Degroff attempted to put the Audi into gear, but he inadvertently put the vehicle into neutral instead.  The officers could hear the engine revving as Degroff stepped on the gas pedal.  Two officers physically engaged with Degroff and attempted to remove Degroff from the Audi.  During the struggle, Degroff was able to put the Audi into drive and sped away at a high rate of speed while officers still had their hands on him.  One officer was struck on his right side as he disengaged from the vehicle as Degroff sped away.  The second officer was spun around causing pain, abrasions, and lacerations to the officer’s upper body.

Officers lost sight of Degroff.  Several more units responded, and a perimeter was set up.  The unoccupied Audi was located near W 23rd Avenue and Culver Place.  Officers used a drone and located Degroff lying down in a wooded area between the southbound lanes of Minnesota and the Hillcrest off-ramp.  Police approached Degroff who eventually complied with instructions and was taken into custody. Officers recovered clothing and personal items Degroff had discarded; a baggie of suspected cocaine was located within those possessions.

Degroff complained of being in pain.  He was evaluated by medics and ultimately transported to a hospital where he continued to be uncooperative.  Once medically cleared, he was remanded at the Anchorage Correctional Complex on the charges of Fail to Stop, two counts of Assault III, Reckless Driving, Disorderly Conduct, Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance V, Resisting, Unlawful Conduct I, and Violate Conditions of Release.

APD Cases 24-26381 and 24-26382

For information on how to obtain the criminal history of any Alaskan, you may do so online via Court View on the State’s website.