On Saturday, the Soldotna Alaska State Trooper K-9 team conducted a traffic stop on a 2016 silver Chevrolet Cruz for traveling at a high rate of speed and reckless driving near mile 108 of the Sterling Highway in Kasilof. The vehicle was occupied by two males and the driver was identified as Michael Aaron Powell of Soldotna, who has a $5,000 warrant out for his arrest for an original charge of robbery and assault.
Powell reportedly failed to yield to the emergency vehicle and accelerated at excessive rates of speed. The passenger asked Powell to let him out or to drop him off somewhere. Powell, then, threatened bodily harm with a weapon to the passenger.
The vehicle stopped around mile 110, which is located near Tustumena Elementary School. AST report that Powell was non-compliant during the traffic stop. During the removal of the passenger from the vehicle, Powell sped off at a high rate of speed, almost striking the passenger as well as AST. The vehicle was located abandoned near the area with a tarp and boards covering it.
The Anchor Point K-9 Team arrived shortly after the suspect vehicle was located. Two K-9 troopers located Powell at a 32-foot Crown Imperial RV where he was found hiding underneath the RV.
He was arrested and transported to Wildwood Pretrial and remanded on charges including eluding in the 1st degree, two counts of assault in the third degree, assault in the second degree, coercion, reckless driving, and evidence tampering, after receiving medical clearance from Central Peninsula Hospital.
