Juneau men charged with impersonating SWAT officers
Published 2:30 pm Monday, September 7, 2026
An Aug. 15 police response on Douglas Island led to misdemeanor charges against two men after bystanders reported what appeared to be a detention taking place on the beach.
Christopher Scott Johnson Jr., 21, and Adam Scott Murphy, 28, were arrested at 7:36 p.m. on Glacier Highway for allegedly impersonating an officer and lodged at Lemon Creek Correctional Center. JPD identifies the investigation as case 2026-08150053.
Witnesses at Sandy Beach told police they saw Johnson and Murphy place two people in handcuffs before walking them away from the area. The bystanders directed responding officers towards the two men who were both allegedly found wearing black tactical-style clothing, plate carriers, balaclavas, and what appeared to be ballistic helmets.
Officers reported that each man carried a loaded Glock handgun, pepper spray, and handcuffs. No shots were reported fired, and there are no indications of injuries.
Both defendants were arraigned Aug. 17 in Juneau District Court on one count each of impersonating a public servant, a Class B misdemeanour.
City Attorney Emily Wright said circumstances surrounding the incident were still being determined and that the case could be referred to state prosecutors if the investigation supported more serious charges.
Alaska law makes it a class B misdemeanor to impersonate a public servant and purport to exercise that person’s authority over someone else. A separate statute provides a more serious offense for impersonating a peace officer while purporting to exercise police authority. Neither Johnson nor Murphy has been charged with the felony-level offence based on publicly available information.
