Owners, witness dispute Skamania County sheriff's deputy's account in fatal shooting of dog

May 11-The owners of a 7-year-old German shepherd shot and killed by an off-duty Skamania County sheriff's deputy are urging anyone who witnessed the incident but has not yet spoken with investigators to come forward.

Deputy Boris Vasilyevich Kioroglo shot and killed the dog, Dodger, on May 6 outside his Clark County home. While the Skamania County Sheriff's Office maintains Kioroglo used deadly force because the dog presented "an imminent threat of serious injury," Dodger's owners and an eyewitness dispute the deputy's account.

According to a news release from the Skamania County Sheriff's Office, Kioroglo reported the dog was "circling his marked patrol vehicle" upon arriving home. The agency said when Kioroglo exited his vehicle, "the dog aggressively charged toward him."

In response, Kioroglo fired his department-issued Taser and then shot Dodger three times, killing him.

Neighbor Brandon Wolfe said he witnessed the incident from start to finish and disputes Kioroglo's description of events. Wolfe said Dodger displayed zero aggression and did not circle Kioroglo's patrol vehicle or charge him.

About 6 p.m., Wolfe said he was attempting to corral his neighbor's two German shepherds, Dodger and Brooklyn, back toward their nearby home to keep them out of traffic. He told Kioroglo the dogs were out and he was trying to get them home.

"I didn't feel any kind of danger being around Dodger. He didn't growl at me, he didn't bark at me, his tail was wagging," Wolfe said. "He just looked like an old dog that was trying to walk the neighborhood by himself."

Wolfe said when Kioroglo arrived and got out of his patrol vehicle, the dog turned toward the deputy but appeared to move toward the open front door to their home. Kioroglo reportedly yelled "stop" and immediately drew and deployed his stun gun.

Startled by the shock of the Taser, Dodger "panicked, cried out loudly and began flailing in pain," thrashing around and trying to bite the wires off, Wolfe said.

Kioroglo then dropped his Taser, closed his vehicle door, drew his firearm and fired three shots. All three struck Dodger, who collapsed in the street, Wolfe said.

"I don't know anything about this officer, but his quickness to violence was startling. He escalated way too hard," Wolfe said.

Following the shooting, Kioroglo asked Wolfe to call 911. Wolfe said he complied.

Dodger's owners, 21-year-old Lilly Inglis and 18-year-old Thomas Inglis, said there has been a history of animosity with Kioroglo over their dogs.

Lilly Inglis said she was at the beach with her boyfriend when she learned of the shooting and rushed home. She described her childhood pet as a "gentle giant" that was loving and friendly - tender toward guinea pigs, cats and other neighborhood animals.

"I just want people to know he wasn't a bad dog," she said.

The family said Kioroglo has a Ring camera and security cameras around his home, but he declined to provide them to the family.

The family is now attempting to raise funds through a GoFundMe to retain an attorney.

"I hope this follows him for the rest of his career," Lilly Inglis said. "He shouldn't have one after what he did."

The Department of Justice estimates that American police officers shoot approximately 10,000 dogs each year, which is roughly 25 to 30 dogs every day.

However, the agency notes that exact numbers are nearly impossible to verify, as the majority of law enforcement agencies fail to maintain precise records regarding the killing of animals. Some estimates suggest the actual number of dogs killed by police annually could reach into the six figures, according to a 2018 article in The University of New Hampshire Law Review.

Clark County Animal Protection and Control's program manager told The Columbian the department received a report in August regarding two dogs associated with the Inglises' address running loose and acting aggressively, as well as a report from May 2024 that Dodger was involved in a dog-bite incident but did not provide further details.

The Clark County Sheriff's Office investigated the shooting but concluded its inquiry Thursday and will not pursue charges. The Skamania County Sheriff's Office is taking over the investigation.

Wolfe said investigators didn't reach out to him until days later. He said he's fearful of police retaliation.

Skamania County Undersheriff Tracy Wyckoff declined to comment further, telling The Columbian in an email Friday that she will not speculate on the incident and has not been provided the final results of the investigation.

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