East Wenatchee Man Shoots & Kills Alleged Aggressive Dog Prior To Being Assaulted By Its Owner

Prosecutors in Douglas County are reviewing an incident involving a dog that was shot and killed by a tenant at an apartment complex in East Wenatchee on Saturday morning.

Sgt. Tye Sheats of the East Wenatchee Police Department tells KPQ News it happened at around 9 a.m. in the 12000 block of Eastmont Avenue, where officers responded following reports of a man who'd allegedly discharged a firearm illegally.

Sheats says officers arrived at the scene to learn an Australian Sheppard with a documented history of aggressive behavior had been shot twice and killed by an adult male who lives at the complex and is a neighbor of the dog's owner, a 62-year-old female.

Police say the man claims he shot the dog with a handgun in self defense when it attacked him, after which the dog's owner then assaulted him for killing the animal.

Sheats says the man sustained a possible minor injury when the dog tried to bite him, but was not injured during the assault by its owner.

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The man and his adult female companion were both briefly detained by police at the scene but later released.

Sheats says neither party was arrested and the man declined to press charges against the dog's owner for assaulting him, although she reportedly wanted him arrested after making unsubstantiated claims that the man pointed the gun at her and a family member after killing the dog.

Police say they've received numerous calls in the past regarding issues about the dog's alleged aggressiveness, including just a few weeks prior to Saturday's incident.

The case has been forwarded to prosecutors for review of possible criminal charges, although it appears the likelihood of any being filed is slim, due to officers determination that the shooting was committed in self defense.