Press Release

Office of Special Prosecutions Completes Review of Fairbanks Officer-Involved Shooting

April 10, 2026

(Anchorage, AK) – The Office of Special Prosecutions has completed its review of an officer-involved shooting from Jan. 1, 2026, involving Alaska State Troopers John Faul and Wyatt Miller in Fairbanks. 

The State will not file criminal charges against Trooper John Faul or Trooper Wyatt Miller relating to their use of deadly force against William Rexford from Jan. 1, 2026 in Fairbanks, Alaska. The review determined that Troopers Faul and Miller were legally justified in using deadly force under the circumstances. The Troopers responded to a residence following reports of a domestic disturbance and were attempting to take Rexford into protective custody when he suddenly armed himself with two large kitchen knives and advanced rapidly toward Trooper Faul.  In response, both Trooper Faul and Trooper Miller fired their weapons at Rexford. Rexford was killed during the encounter. A second individual was also injured; the review determined that this injury occurred inadvertently during the Troopers’ lawful use of force in self-defense.

CONTACT: Chief Assistant Attorney General Jenna Gruenstein, at (907) 269-6250 or jenna.gruenstein@alaska.gov.

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Department Media Contact: Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.

Due to resource constraints, we no longer post links to referenced records. Records filed in a federal court are readily available at Docket Search or PACER, and records filed in a State of Alaska court are readily available from the Alaska Court System (Trial Courts - Alaska Court System and Search for an Appellate Case). Contact Sam Curtis to request a referenced record that is not readily available from a court or on the internet, or contact law.recordsrequest@alaska.gov to submit a formal Alaska Public Records Act request.