Anchorage police have charged 22-year-old Kaleb Bourdukofsky with murder following a deadly shooting early Saturday morning outside the Pioneer Bar in downtown Anchorage. The incident, which unfolded after a bar fight at the Pioneer Bar on 4th Avenue, resulted in the death of one man and injuries to another, according to police reports.
At a Monday news conference, acting Anchorage Police Chief Bianca Cross detailed the events that began inside the Pioneer Bar. “Indications are there was an altercation that began in a bar and was taken outside,” Cross stated, explaining that a physical fight preceded the gunfire. Police responded to reports of shots fired near the Pioneer Bar around 2:25 a.m. after witnesses identified Bourdukofsky as the shooter.
Officers pursued Bourdukofsky, who was reportedly fleeing with a handgun. Chief Cross explained that officers, facing an immediate threat, resorted to lethal force after Bourdukofsky ignored commands to stop. “This man was running with a gun in his hand after an active shooting,” Cross emphasized, indicating the urgency of the situation and ruling out the use of less-lethal options. Bourdukofsky was shot multiple times by the officers and subsequently taken to a hospital before being remanded to the custody of the Alaska Department of Corrections.
Upon investigating the scene near the Pioneer Bar, officers discovered two victims of the shooting allegedly perpetrated by Bourdukofsky. One man was found deceased behind a bar, while a second man sustained gunshot wounds. The deceased victim was later identified as 25-year-old Diego Joe. The injured man was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Police are still investigating whether Bourdukofsky knew either of the victims involved in the shooting outside the Pioneer Bar Anchorage.
Court documents reveal that the altercation leading to the fatal shooting began inside the Pioneer Bar. Surveillance footage cited in the charging documents indicates Bourdukofsky was escorted out of the Pioneer Bar by an unidentified individual. Diego Joe was part of a group outside the back door, and reportedly punched Bourdukofsky as he exited the bar. The fight escalated, with both men falling to the ground before bystanders intervened and separated them. According to police, video evidence then shows Bourdukofsky walking away, only to return and allegedly open fire on the group gathered near the Pioneer Bar’s back entrance. Diego Joe was fatally struck during the gunfire.
The two Anchorage Police Department officers involved in the shooting of Bourdukofsky have not been publicly named yet, in line with departmental policy to release names 72 hours post-incident. They have been placed on administrative leave for four days, as per standard procedure. This incident marks the second police shooting in Anchorage since the implementation of body-worn cameras. The department is currently conducting internal and state investigations into the shooting, and body camera footage will not be released until these investigations are concluded, mirroring the protocol followed in a previous police shooting incident last month.
Chief Cross acknowledged the ongoing learning process for the department regarding body camera footage and investigations. Bourdukofsky now faces serious charges including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, second-degree assault, and weapons misconduct, stemming from the violent events that unfolded outside the Pioneer Bar Anchorage.
