Anchor Point man sentenced for attempted murder of state trooper

Herrick received a composite sentence of 74 years with 15 years suspended

Bret Herrick, 62, of Anchor Point was sentenced on Wednesday, Nov. 1 for the attempted murder of Alaska State Trooper Bruce Brueggeman and related crimes that occurred outside the Warehouse grocery store in Anchor Point in August 2021.

Herrick received a composite sentence of 74 years with 15 years suspended, according to a Nov. 2 press release from the State of Alaska Department of Law.

Herrick was convicted by a Homer jury in July on all counts, including attempted murder, four counts of assault in varying degrees, escape in the second degree, resisting arrest and two counts violating conditions of release, the Peninsula Clarion reported previously.

Superior Court Judge Bride Seifert, who handed down the sentencing, sentenced Herrick to 65 years, with 15 years suspended, followed by 10 years of probation for the attempted murder; three years of consecutive time for third-degree assault; five years of consecutive time for escape; one year of consecutive time for resisting arrest; and 90 days of consecutive time for each of two counts of violating conditions of release by possessing weapons in violation of his bail conditions, the release states.

Judge Seifert “noted that the primary sentencing consideration was isolation to protect the public.”

Aggravating factors found by both the jury and the court contributed to Herrick’s higher sentence. According to the release, these factors were that “the crimes were directed at law enforcement officers acting in performance of their duties” and that Herrick “engaged in similar conduct in the past” and had five prior misdemeanor convictions.

More information on the 2021 incident is available at https://www.homernews.com/news/anchor-point-man-convicted-of-attempted-murder-other-charges-in-2021-trooper-shooting/.