Man leads chase on Alaska military base

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- A man took his pickup truck on a wild ride across a military base in Alaska, evading gunfire from security during an 8-mile chase before fleeing, officials say.

Maj. Joseph Coslett, a spokesman for Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, said a man drove his 1994 GMC Sierra illegally through a base gate about midnight Saturday. Officers noted the pickup's license plate, but Coslett declined to identify to whom the vehicle is registered.

The suspect led security forces on a chase through the base on his way to a gate on the opposite side, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

"As he's driving it around, he's aiming it at our security forces, thus making it a weapon," Coslett said. "Obviously, they tried different measures to use only the right force necessary to safely stop the vehicle."

Officers fired "several rounds" at the pickup with 9mm handguns but were unable to disable it. The driver turned around at the second gate when he saw it was barricaded. He exited the way he came in and was still on the loose.

"The biggest thing is, it is on base, so there are a lot of security concerns," Coslett said. "Of course, there are a lot of unanswered questions. That's why we have investigations -- to try to make sure, either if we have to change our measures, upgrade our measures, whatever we have to do."