- Moses Lake, WA
A female dog was struck by a vehicle in a hit and run on Tuesday, September 28 at around 7:30-8:00 p.m. on the corner of Valley and Stratford Road in Moses Lake. A few individuals in the area assisted with caring for the dog after she was hit and a Moses Lake police officer responded to the scene. The officer(s) then told the bystanders to stand back from the area. The dog sustained critical injuries from being struck by the vehicle. As it turns out, the responding officer allegedly euthanized the dog on his own Tuesday night, despite that being against the agency’s policy. The owner was notified. The police officer reportedly used a firearm to euthanize the dog in the head.
At this time it is unconfiemed if there was one or two officers involved in the incident. The MLPD officer(s) then proceeded to allegedly leave the dog on Road 7 after euthanizing it; the dog was found deceased Wednesday. The actions of the police officer was against the Moses Lake Police Department’s policy and is under investigation.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Moses Lake Police Department stated,
“Thank you for making us aware of this, as we were unaware of the situation until recently. The dog was severely injuried when it was hit by a car. The responding officer euthanized the dog last night, and the owner was notified. The officer made a bad decision and instead of disposing of the dog by policy, took the dog out to Road 7 and left it out there instead. This actions of the officer are under investigation, and our officers have picked up the dog to dispose of it properly.”