Bruce Alan Heck

Alaska State Troopers — Anchorage, AK

Felonious

End of Watch January 10, 1997

Age 42

Tour of Duty 21 yrs

The Vigil Panel 143 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 11

Incident

Trooper Bruce Heck was killed in a fight with a man on Glenn Highway, near milepost 156, during a traffic stop. The suspect had robbed a store, beat the owner, and had stolen a taxi before engaging in a high-speed chase with Trooper Heck. After crashing the vehicle, the man fled on foot. Another trooper who responded to Trooper Heck's call for backup found his body approximately 150 yards off the highway, lying face up in the snow. The suspect was arrested approximately 20 minutes later by the first backup unit who arrived. The man had just been released from prison 48 hours earlier after serving a five-year sentence for escape. On March 3rd, 1998, the man was convicted of three counts of second-degree murder, two counts of robbery, two counts of assault, one count of escape, and one count of vehicle theft. He was subsequently sentenced to 142 years in prison. Trooper Heck had served with the Alaska State Troopers for 21 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AK-E8B9B2BD
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

21 years. You could have gone home.
Trooper Heck gave the Alaska State Troopers 21 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the people of Alaska. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Heck.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Alaska State Troopers

Location Anchorage, AK

Platform Identity alasgov.anchorage.ak.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 10, 1997

Tour of Duty 21 yrs

Age 42

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Person

Offender Sentenced to 142 years

Trooper Bruce Alan Heck is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In AK, 35 of 50 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70% of this state's fallen. That is 15.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Alaska State Troopers, 7 of 12 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58.3% of this agency's fallen.

Alaska State Troopers

of 12 officers

58.3% Felonious

AK — Statewide

of 50 officers

70% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious