MOSES LAKE, Wash. - The Chelan County Sheriff's Office concluded a Grant County Sheriff's deputy was justified in shooting a Moses Lake man's pet, to defend a police dog.

The agency was asked to conduct an investigation of the Jan. 24 incident by the Grant County Sheriff's Office.

Earlier this year, Grant County Sheriff's Deputy Beau Lamens shot and killed a dog in Neppel Park after the dog and the K-9 Unit dog engaged in a fight.

During the incident, Lamens was requested by the Moses Lake Police Department to bring Maddox, the K-9 Unit drug dog. The dog was requested as Moses Lake police were performing an arrest and drugs were suspected in a vehicle during a traffic stop next to the park.

At the same time, Nick Criscuolo, of Moses Lake, was in the park with his two dogs. Both the dogs were off their leashes.

Having unleashed dogs in a public park is a city code violation.

Once Maddox was brought out to begin drug detection, one of Criscuolo's dogs, named Slyder, began to run away from his owner toward the drug dog. Criscuolo was able to grab the other dog to prevent it from running toward Maddox.

Maddox and Slyder engaged in a physical altercation.

"Lamens said he kicked the dog away twice and it returned," explained Chelan County Sgt. Jeff Middleton. "His K-9 had slipped his collar. He thought the dog (Slyder) was returning for another attack. He decided to shoot at this point. I think his belief that the dog was returning for another attack is supported by the findings of this investigation."

Lamens shot the dog three times.