Officer Matthew Dean Tokuoka

Matthew Dean Tokuoka

Officer Matthew Tokuoka and Sergeant Anthony Wallace were ambushed and killed by a lone gunman.

Officer Tokuoka, who was off-duty, was in his car with his family when he stopped to talk to Sergeant Wallace who was standing outside his vehicle. Sergeant Wallace's mother was visiting him in Alaska and was accompanying him on a ride along at the time.

A man who the two officers had arrested on several occasions in the past opened fire on Sergeant Wallace from a concealed position nearby, striking Sergeant Wallace in the leg and chest, penetrating his vest.

Officer Tokuoka was able to radio in a brief situation report and then attempted to drag Sergeant Wallace to cover when he was shot twice in the chest.

Sergeant Wallace passed away in the early morning hours of August 29th and Officer Tokuoka passed away just before midnight on August 28th at the Hoonah Clinic ER before he could be flown to a trauma center.

The suspect, a former Army marksman, fled to his house and barricaded himself inside while approximately 100 officers, including SWAT teams from the Alaska State Troopers and the Juneau Police Department, responded to the scene. The suspect surrendered to officers after remaining barricaded for two days, but in January of 2012 an Alaska superior court judge ruled that the suspect was not mentally competent to stand trial, however, that ruling was overturned. He was subsequently convicted of two counts of first degree murder on November 3rd, 2012. On April 4th, 2013, the subject was sentenced to 198 years in prison.

Officer Tokuoka had served for 10 years as a U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations Diver and had worked for the Hoonah Police Department for 18 months. He is survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters, father, and three sisters.

The badge numbers of Sergeant Wallace and Officer Tokuoka were retired following their murders. The Hoonah City Council proclaimed the memorial service day for both officers, September 8th, as Anthony Wallace and Matthew Tokuoka Day.

In April of 2011, Officer Tokuoka was honored by the Governor of Alaska by being posthumously awarded the Police Medal of Honor with gold laurels for valor for his actions.