District Attorney Intending To Increase Alleged Tazlina Bridge Assault To Attempted Murder Charge

PALMER DISTRICT ATTORNEY ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE ASSAULT CHARGE ON OFFICER TO "ATTEMPTED MURDER" 

Copper Center Man In Tazlina Bridge Incident Refuses To Appear At Court, Troopers Say

UPDATE: On 10/05/2022 at approximately 1100 hours, Goodlataw's arraignment was held, and he refused to appear in front of the court for the second time in two days.

The arraignment was held without Goodlataw present, and his bail was set $50,000 cash performance, a $25,000 C-C appearance, and a court approved third party. 

The Palmer DA Office is attempting to up the charge from Assault 2nd on a Law Enforcement Officer to Attempted Murder on a Law Enforcement Officer.

 

28-Year Old Copper Center Man Accused Of Blocking Traffic By Tazlina Bridge, Hostility, Failing To Obey Commands, Charging Troopers, Hiding Hands & Injuring Officer  

Troopers Say Man Resisted Arrest

Tasering Unsuccessful

Location: Glennallen

Type: Assault 2nd on LEO, Assault 4th x2 on LEO, Resisting arrest, Criminal Mischief 5th, and Disorderly Conduct x2

Dispatch Text:

On 10/03/2022 at approximately 1857 hours, AST responded to the Tazlina Bridge at mile 110 of the Richardson Highway for a report of a male in the middle of the road blocking traffic. Prior to arrival an off duty VPSO notified AST of the male and stated he was being hostile. 

AST arrived on scene and the male charged the Troopers with his hands hidden and reaching into his backpack. The male disobeyed commands and continued to advance toward AST. 

The male then began to walk away from AST still reaching where the troopers could not see. A taser was deployed but was unsuccessful. 

AST attempted to take the male to the ground, but he struck a trooper in the head with a metal bolt causing a laceration near his temple. The male resisted arrest for several minutes before being detained. The male was later identified as Mathew Goodlataw, age 28 of Copper Center. 

Goodlataw was transported to MAT-SU Pretrial without any further incident. The trooper who was injured was transported to MAT-SU Regional with minor non-life threating injuries.