Washington man shot dead by armed father at dog park after trying to 'endanger' child's life: police
"The erratic subject attempted to endanger the life of the small child with his words and actions, at which point the child’s father protected his child from the threat," the post said.
Police explained that the father gave verbal commands to the individual to stop the harassment and attempted to leave the park.
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Dogs and people wander through the Stern Grove off-leash dog park ((Photo By Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images))
When those attempts to deescalate the situation were not successful, police say the 28-year-old father shot and killed the aggressive individual with a legally owned firearm.
The victim was later identified as 28-year-old Daniel Ortega.
The Yakima-Herald Republic reported this week that Ortega had been attempting to take the child, about five or six years of age, and that police believe narcotics played a role in the incident.
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Randall Park Dog Park in Yakima, Washington (Google Maps)
"Multiple interviews of the involved parties and witnesses corroborated what was believed to have occurred," police said. "After consultation with the Yakima County Prosecutor, the man who discharged the firearm in this incident was released after cooperating with detectives."
The department added that a formal decision on possible charges will be made by the prosecutor's office once the investigation is complete.
The Yakima Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.