Richard Trannum arrested after pulling a gun on police during a theft investigation

At 8:59 PM on April 10, 2022, Anchorage Police responded to the 1200-block of Denali Street regarding an adult male who had left on a bike he had stolen from the garage of a condominium complex.  Witnesses told police the unknown male had cut the lock to a bike in the shared garage and then fled from the area on it.  The witnesses provided officers with the suspect’s description along with a photo of the suspect taken from a nearby surveillance camera. 

One of the responding officers located a male, matching the suspect’s description, walking on the 300-block of E 11th Avenue.  The officer pulled up behind the suspect, exited his patrol car, and then verbally engaged with the suspect.   The male, later identified as 31-year-old Richard T. Trannum, was uncooperative and would not follow the officers’ instructions.  When the officer took a step towards Trannum, Trannum quickly took off his backpack and jacket and then ran southbound through the parking lot.  As the officer gave chase, he noticed a large knife in a sheath on Trannum’s hip.   As they approached E 12th Avenue and Cordova, the officer allowed Trannum to get further ahead as Trannum was reaching towards his waistband.  The officer gave Trannum commands to show his hands; Trannum subsequently produced a handgun.  The officer commanded Trannum to drop the gun.  Trannum did drop the weapon but continued to run.

Due to Trannum having a large knife on his body, producing a handgun, and continuing to flee while ignoring commands, the officer deployed his Taser.  As that was happening, a second officer arrived at the scene.  Trannum went to the ground on his own and was subsequently taken into custody.  As soon as Trannum was detained, the original pursuing officer went back to the area where Trannum had dropped the gun; the gun was seized for evidence.

Richard Trannum was remanded at the Anchorage Jail on five felony warrants (mostly related to previous burglary and theft charges).  He was additionally charged with Misconduct Involving a Weapon III – Felon in Possession, Assault III, Resisting, and Criminal Trespass I.

During the investigation, it was determined that none of the witnesses had actually seen the suspect cut the bike lock in the condo’s garage.  The witnesses believed Trannum had stolen the bike based on observations made immediately before and after a cut bike lock was found on the garage floor.  Efforts to locate the owner of the bicycle were not immediately successful.

APD Case 22-11342

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