Escort was well-deserved

I was an observer to the convoy accompanying Officer Stewart and his K-9 partner back to Moses Lake after the treatment the dog received here in Moses Lake Clinic and at WSU’s hospital, after the dog lost an eye in a shooting here on February 28th, in which Officer Stewart mortally wounded the shooter (“A wasteful escort,” Julia Goltz, March 7).

The route from I-90 through Moses Lake was lined with citizens for their welcome, with nary a sign protesting the use of public funds for participation in their homecoming.

The officers who joined this honor guard did so for the wounded canine, but in also support of Officer Stewart. This officer not only has to await the outcome of a multi-agency investigation into the shooting, but hope that his well-trained K-9 partner may one day be able to perform his duties. And he must live with the consequences of his actions the rest of his life.

As to the “carbon footprint” of the cars in the escort; I’m not in a position to prove this, but I would hazard a guess that there is a larger carbon footprint on any given day on I-5 in metro Seattle. Not all of the cars in the escort traveled the full 131 miles from Pullman to Moses Lake, but joined it en-route.

My hope is that there will be no such criticism for a similar escort for Sgt. Anderson of Post Falls, also wounded in the line of duty, should his fellow officers support him on his release from the hospital.

Our public servants and all those to whom we are indebted for our safety and well-being deserve all our support. Even those of the 4-legged variety.

Janet Bakos

Moses Lake