Anchor Point man in hospital after being shot by trooper

Thursday update:

The Alaska State Trooper that fired his service weapon on Sunday, Dec. 10, injuring Anchor Point resident Fernando Ospina, has been identified as Trooper Matthew Wertanen, a 12-year veteran of the Department of Public Safety, according to an online troopers dispatch report.

Original Story:

An Anchor Point man is in an Anchorage hospital after being shot by an Alaska State Trooper during a confrontation Sunday night.

Fernando Ospina, 47, of Anchor Point, survived the gunshot and was stabilized at South Peninsula Hospital before being transported to Anchorage for further treatment Sunday, according to an online trooper dispatch.

The confrontation arose when troopers were called to a house in Anchor Point around 10:01 p.m. Troopers from Soldotna responded to the area.

“What was reported to AST was that gunshots were heard and people were yelling and running around the property with flashlights,” wrote Alaska State Troopers Public Information Officer Tim DeSpain in an email.

After the troopers arrived, Ospina allegedly opened the door and pointed a rifle at the them, according to the dispatch.

“(Ospina) was shot once by a responding trooper,” the dispatch states.

The Soldotna General Investigations Unit responded to the scene and is heading up the investigation. Per Alaska State Troopers’ policy, the officer’s name will be withheld until 72 hours after the incident. The Department of Law’s Office of Special Prosecutions will determine if the use of force was legal, according to the dispatch.

Homer News reporter Megan Pacer contributed to this report. She can be reached at megan.pacer@homernews.com.