Report: Oklahoma deputy fired after K9 officer dies in hot car

An Oklahoma sheriff’s office fired one of its deputies after his K9 partner died in his car.

KFOR in Oklahoma reports Stephens County Sheriff’s Office decided to terminate Matthew Peck.

Sources told the station Peck left K9 Deputy Bak in his cruiser and then discovered the body 36 hours later on Aug. 5.

"We were shocked, and we're saddened,” Stephens County Sheriff Wayne McKinney told the station. “This is a loss of one of our deputies or K9 deputies."

Bak, an 8-year-old German Shepherd, had been Peck’s partner for four years.

The dog’s cause of death was initially believed to be heat related, according to the Duncan Banner.

McKinney told the newspaper a criminal investigation is being conducted on the dog’s cause of death.

He said the district attorney’s office will make a decision whether to pursue charges based off his department’s investigation.

“You have the utmost responsibility to take care of those dogs as a K9 handler,” he told the newspaper. “I know there was some departmental policies violated, but we have concerns in other areas. We’re looking at that, and I just want to assure the people it will be dealt with if there is a problem.”

The dog will be honored alongside other fallen deputies on a Stephens County Courthouse memorial.

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This story was originally published August 27, 2016 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Report: Oklahoma deputy fired after K9 officer dies in hot car."