Alaska State Troopers Joseph Miller (left) and Jason Woodruff (right) use a Taser and police dog against Ben Tikka on May 24, 2024, in Kenai, Alaska. Photo credit: Alaska Department of Law.
By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | December 2025
KENAI, Alaska – A federal grand jury indicts two former Alaska State Troopers after a violent arrest tied to a nonviolent driving offense left the wrong man hospitalized in 2024. Prosecutors say the troopers failed to verify the suspect’s identity before using force.
Joseph Miller and Jason Woodruff were searching for Garrett Tikka, who had a misdemeanor warrant for failing to serve a 10-day sentence for driving with a revoked license. They located an SUV registered to Tikka at Daubenspeck Family Park, but inside was his cousin, Ben Tikka, who resembles Garrett.
Court documents say the troopers never asked Ben Tikka to identify himself. He told them he had no active warrant, but his identity was not confirmed before officers smashed a window, deployed pepper spray, and released a police dog. Tikka suffered a fractured shoulder, muscle and head lacerations, and dog bite wounds that required surgery and stitches.
The error was discovered when another trooper confirmed his identity at the hospital. Miller and Woodruff now face federal civil rights charges for excessive force. The federal indictment and related details are available in a Justice Department press release.
The case is being closely watched across Alaska, raising questions about arrest protocols, identity verification, and the use of force in nonviolent warrant cases.
