Alaska State Troopers say a village police officer from Buckland spent Saturday evening recovering from surgery after being shot by a man accused of importing alcohol into a local option village Friday morning.
On July 26 around 3 a.m., Gary A. Ballot, 40, allegedly shot VPO Lorin B. Geary, 48, after traveling to Buckland on boat with alcohol. The village of Buckland voted to ban the importation of alcohol, and is about 75 miles southeast of Kotzebue.
People in the village heard what happened and helped take the firearm away from Ballot and placed him into custody, and Geary was medevaced to Anchorage for treatment.
Hours after the shooting around 4:30 p.m., investigators with the Alaska Bureau of Investigation went to Buckland and Kotzebue AST Troopers, a Western Alaska Alcohol/Narcotics Team Investigator, and Buckland VPO, and VPSO also helped with the investigation.
VPOs in Buckland received an anonymous tip about Ballot smuggling booze, according to a trooper dispatch posted Saturday afternoon.
"Ballot arrived in Buckland with 7.5 liters of distilled spirits, 18.825 gallons of malt beverage, and 5.25 liters of wine," AST wrote in the dispatch. "Ballot's boat and four wheeler along with a trailer were seized pursuant to a search warrant."
Ballot made his first court appearance Saturday in Kotzebue, after doctors treated and cleared any injuries he claimed to have during his arrest.
His bail was set at $250,000 cash and court approved third party after appearing for his arraignment. He was charged with first degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, five counts of third-degree assault, felony alcohol importation, two counts of misdemeanor alcohol importation, fourth-degree misconduct involving weapons, and resisting arrest.
Contact Neil Torquiano