BOONE, Iowa (KCAU) – Iowa Public Safety officials say that a former sheriff’s deputy has been charged with a class-D felony after allegedly leaving a K-9 deputy to die in his police car.  

According to a release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety, former Boone County Sheriff’s Office deputy Dallas Wingate, 50, was charged with the death of K-9 deputy, Bear.  

The release states that Wingate was Bear’s handler, and he has been charged with one count of injury or interference with a police dog service.  

Bear had been found dead inside Wingate’s K-9-equipped police vehicle, which prompted the sheriff’s office to request the DCI to investigate on September 2, 2022, according to the release.  

Officials found that Wingate had placed Bear inside the vehicle on the evening of September 1, 2022, and allegedly did not go back to the vehicle for nearly 22 hours.  

The release noted that Wingate turned himself in at the Story County Jail and the Story County Attorney’s office will prosecute the case.