Threatening trooper costs Shaktoolik man five years

“You may hate cops; you don’t have to like them, but you have to respect them.” That is what Superior Court Judge Romano D. DiBenedetto told Dennis Ryan Katchatag, as he sentenced Katchatag, 33, to five years in prison with one year suspended.

A trooper responding to an assault complaint in Shaktoolik last year faced a loaded rifle and obscenities yelled at him by Katchatag, according to court records.

A jury found Katchatag guilty of Assault in the third degree, a Class C Felony.

Alaska State Trooper Adam Hawkins received a call at the AST post in Unalakleet on the morning of Sept. 16 last year from Timothy Katchatag, saying his nephew had assaulted him at their home in Shaktoolik.

After a disagreement concerning a radio, Dennis Katchatag began to slap his uncle in the face several times and punched him in the stomach, according to the sworn complaint filed in court. Alcohol was involved. His nephew had been drinking, Timothy said. Timothy called the police and left the home.

Hawkins contacted Village Police Officer Michael Kulukhon in Shaktoolik. Kulukhon found Timothy at his brother’s house with bruises on his face. Hawkins asked Kulukhon to contact Dennis Katchatag and to put him on the phone with Hawkins. Katchatag yelled at Kulukhon and shoved him. Kulukhon avoided Dennis Katchatag’s fist, according to the account filed by Hawkins, and left the house. Timothy Katchatag had let Kulukhon into his house as Timothy wanted to retrieve some clothes while the police officer was there.

Timothy reported to Hawkins that while at the house, he had seen his nephew shove VPO Kulukhon down the stairs.

When Hawkins traveled to Shaktoolik, Timothy opened the door of the Katchatag house, saying that his nephew Dennis was probably upstairs.

Hawkins went to the bottom of the stairs and announced his presence to Dennis Katchatag, who began yelling obscenities at the trooper and looked down at him as he yelled profanities.

Dennis’ right arm was concealed behind the side of him, according to Hawkins’ account. As the trooper tried to talk to Dennis from the bottom of the stairs, he saw the butt stock of a rifle or shotgun next to his face with the remainder hidden behind him as Dennis yelled, “Get out.”

“I was afraid Dennis would shoot me,” Hawkins said in his sworn statement.

Hawkins unholstered his service pistol while backing away. As he did so, Dennis came down the stairway, still yelling, but without a weapon in his hands. Hawkins put away his pistol and continued to attempt to communicate with Dennis without success. Hawkins took out his Taser. Dennis turned and started upstairs. Fearing that Dennis would get his firearm again, Hawkins struck Dennis with the Taser, immobilizing him. Kulukhon cuffed Dennis and he was transported to the Shaktoolik holding cell, according to the court record, and then transported to Anvil Mountain Correctional Center in Nome.

After Dennis had been secured, Hawkins revisited the Katchatag home. When he and Timothy Katchatag went upstairs, they found an AR-15, the rifle Hawkins had seen Dennis holding.

“I found the rifle fully loaded with a magazine in, a bullet in the chamber and the weapon safety in ‘off’ position,” Hawkins said in his affidavit. He also found an empty Monarch vodka bottle and two empty R&R whiskey bottles. The trooper photographed the rifle and seized it.

Court documents charged Dennis Katchatag with one count of Assault in the third degree for placing Hawkins in fear of imminent physical injury with a weapon; one count of Assault in the fourth degree for causing physical injury to his uncle, Timothy Katchatag; one count of Assault in the fourth degree for placing VPO Michael Kulukhon in fear of imminent physical injury by his words and conduct, and one count of Misconduct Involving Weapons in the fourth degree for having a firearm on his person while impaired by intoxicating liquor.

A trial jury found Katchatag guilty of Assault in the third degree— Cause fear of imminent injury with a deadly weapon.

The Court ordered documents changed to say that on May 1, 2019, Dennis Katchatag was found guilty of Assault in the third degree and other charges dismissed. At his sentencing hearing Dec. 5, a relative, Helen Katchatag said via telephone that Dennis had done his time, had been good while out on bail, and that he “helps a lot.

“It would be nice if you just let him go,” she told the court. Katchatag made no comment. John Earthman, district attorney, observed that Katchatag was a “cop hater,” saying that time in jail for contemplation had not been therapeutic, Katchatag had continued obscenities and referred to Hawkins as an armed insurgent in court.

“He is not going to change, he needs to be isolated,” Earthman said.

Katchatag’s public defender said Katchatag had not displayed violent behavior, that except for the present case, his trouble was in the distant past. He asked for one to four years.

Judge Romano D. DiBenedetto made sentencing remarks saying that there was no doubt that Katchatag knew he was dealing with a trooper when Hawkins walked in, counter to the defense idea that he did not know who was coming. He had only guarded optimism that Katchatag could be rehabilitated, the judge said.

Had he not used obscenities in court concerning law enforcement, calling Hawkins an “armed insurgent,” voicing instead something like “I lost my cool, I made a mistake,” perhaps he would not have been found guilty, DiBenedetto said.

“It doesn’t matter if you like or don’t like law enforcement, you have to have respect,” DiBenedetto said. “Your conviction resulted from that testimony.”

DiBenedetto imposed a sentence of five years with one year suspended and five years’ probation. Katchatag will pay court charges pertaining to his case and forfeit his firearm ammunition.