Police in Washington state said an armed father who was with his child at a dog park fatally shot an “erratic” man who police said 'attempted to endanger the life of the small child.'
state said an armed father who was with his child at a dog park fatally shot an "erratic" man who police said "attempted to endanger the life of the small child."
According to the Yakima Police Department, they received multiple 911 calls Sunday around 2:30 p.m. from Randall Park Dog Park, with callers stating a man "acting erratically encountered a man who was with his young child at the park." "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."Police said the father gave verbal commands to the man to "leave his family alone" and attempted to leave the park.
When attempts to deescalate the situation failed, police said the 28-year-old father shot and killed the man, later identified as Daniel Ortega, 22, with a legally owned firearm. "Multiple interviews of the involved parties and witnesses corroborated what was believed to have occurred. After consultation with the Yakima County Prosecutor, the man who discharged the firearm in this incident was released after cooperating with detectives."Police said a formal decision on possible charges will be made by the Yakima County Prosecutor's Office once the investigation is complete.