A joint investigation is underway following an officer-involved shooting of a dog during an encounter between two Crescent City Police Officers, a Del Norte County Sheriff’s deputy and a 40-year-old man Tuesday evening. The dog received medical attention following the incident and is doing well, Crescent City Police Chief Richard Griffin told Redwood Voice Community News on Wednesday. The animal was released to another subject that was on the scene. Officers encountered Crescent City resident Kevin Watson and a 42-year-old woman at about 11:04 p.m. in the parking lot at the Chevron South gas station on U.S. 101. They had two dogs in the vehicle with them, Griffin said. According to him, one appeared to be a pit bull. The vehicle wasn’t registered and Watson didn’t have a driver’s license, according to the police chief. The suspect allegedly fought the officers and tried to leave in his vehicle as the authorities prepared to have it towed, Griffin said. “Two officers and a deputy from the sheriff’s office became engaged in fighting Watson and trying to take him into custody,” he said. “One of the dogs went to bite one of the officers. (They) tried to Taser the dog, that didn’t work, and the deputy fired a few rounds at the dog. The dog was struck once and retreated.” According to Griffin, the sheriff’s deputy had to step over the fight between the CCPD officers and the suspect in order to keep the dog from attacking. He said it was the pit bull that was struck. Griffin said the sheriff’s deputy was protecting the CCPD officer who was fighting the suspect on the ground. Watson faces charges of resisting an executive officer through force or violence — California Penal Code 69, according to Griffin. Though he refused medical care on scene, Watson was taken to Sutter Coast Hospital to have his injuries treated before being booked into the Del Norte County Jail, Griffin said. The police chief said that the joint investigation between his department and the sheriff’s office will focus on whether animal cruelty was involved since the subject shot was a dog. If the subject had been a person, the investigation would focus on either attempted homicide or homicide if a death occurred, Griffin said. “I’ve been in contact with Sheriff Scott and we’re reviewing body camera footage and following our protocol for an officer-involved shooting,” he said. “It does appear the officer was engaging the animal to protect the other officer, but we are conducting a full investigation.” The body cameras and in-car cameras were functioning properly, Griffin said. The investigation will be turned over to the Del Norte County District Attorney’s Office “as is normal protocol,” he said.