Incident
Officer Karl Reishus succumbed to injuries sustained the previous day when he fell from a 40-foot tower during a training exercise. He was training with members of Juneau Mountain Rescue Volunteer Group as they practiced a rescue scenario that involved lowering a victim in a litter while a rescuer rappelled alongside the victim. Something went wrong with the ropes as Officer Reishus attempted to stabilize them. He was pulled over a 3-foot safety wall and fell to the ground below. The person in the litter and the rappeller also fell to the ground and were both injured. Officer Reishus had served with the Juneau Police Department for two years and had previously served with the Sitka Police Department for four years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, two sons and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-AK-6DD4292D- 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
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Reishus gave the Juneau Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Juneau community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Reishus.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Karl William Reishus is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In AK, 14 of 50 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28% of this state's fallen. That is 3 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Juneau Police Department, 2 of 4 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Karl William Reishus's cause is highlighted.
How Karl William Reishus Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Karl William Reishus is highlighted in May.
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Juneau Police Department are honored on badge.nw.


