MOSES LAKE, Wash. — Three dog attacks in Moses Lake on Saturday resulted in the shooting and killing of a dog after it attacked a sergeant and multiple community members.
On Jan. 27, an off-duty Moses Lake Police Department (MLPD) sergeant was driving near the 1800 block of Division, when he saw three dogs approach a man on the sidewalk.
One of the dogs, a white Pitbull, began to attack the man and bite his leg while the others barked and circled him.
The sergeant honked his horn while approaching the dogs and was able to scare him off. The man who was attacked got into the sergeant’s car and was taken to a safer location.
Moments later, another off-duty officer saw the same three dogs surrounding a different man walking in the 1800 block of Division. The officer honked his horn and scared them off again but they aggressively ran at a woman in the area.
The officer notified dispatchers and attempted to contact the owner of the dogs, but was unsuccessful.
Within minutes, an on-duty sergeant arrived on scene. Due to the situation as the three dogs attacked at least three people, he got out of his vehicle with a department-issued rifle.
As the sergeant was on scene, he was attacked by the three dogs. The officer yelled at the dogs to stop but the white Pitbull charged at the officer with his “mouth open and attempting to bite him.”
The officer was against the traffic lane and had no place to back up. When the dog was about a foot from the sergeant, he discharged his firearm and killed the dog.
Officers were eventually able to contact the owner of the dogs and assisted with patching the hole in the owners fence.
Before law enforcement left the scene, they were also able to identify some witnesses and body camera video footage was captured.
Moses Lake police ask that if you witnessed this incident and have not talked to them, please call Capt. Mike Williams at 509-764-3900. Also, they have not identified the man that the off-duty sergeant gave a ride to. If you are him, or know who he is, please call.
The condition of the remaining dogs is being investigated by our animal control officers and the actions of the officers will be reviewed by the department to ensure adherence to policy.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. Check back for updates.
