The owner of Kraftwerk K9 in Rochester was arrested for first-degree manslaughter on Tuesday after he allegedly fired a gun loaded with live ammunition during the filming of a dog training video and fatally shot a participant in the film.
Wayne George Curry, 64, was booked into the Thurston County Jail on Tuesday, June 3, following a Thurston County Sheriff’s Office investigation into the shooting, according to jail records and a sheriff’s office news release.
Deputies and medical personnel responded to a “report of a person who had been shot” at an undisclosed time on June 3, according to the news release.
“Upon arrival, the individual was pronounced deceased at the scene by fire department personnel,” the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office stated in the news release. “Given the nature of the incident, detectives were called and responded to conduct a thorough investigation.”
Through their investigation, detectives determined that “a group of individuals had been conducting working dog training exercises, which included the filming of training videos involving gunfire. During this activity, one of the handlers fired a weapon loaded with live ammunition,” the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office stated in the news release. “Tragically, a participant in the filming, a Lewis County man in his early 20s, was struck by a round and died as a result.”
The man had not been publicly identified by law enforcement as of Wednesday morning.
“This is a devastating and heartbreaking event,” the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office stated in the release. “Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time. The emotional toll on everyone involved is significant, and we recognize the deep pain caused by this loss.”
Curry has been a full-time dog trainer and breeder since 1987, when he left a Boeing job to found Kraftwerk K9. Kraftwerk K9 prioritizes breeding and training German Shepherds in tracking, obedience and protection, with clients including police departments adding K9 units and civilians seeking guard dogs, according to previous Chronicle reporting.
Approximately a dozen reviews from former Kraftwerk K9 employees on the company review site Glassdoor posted between 2016 and 2024 cite concerns about Curry abusing dogs in his care, mistreating employees and creating unsafe working conditions.
The Better Business Bureau has documented three complaints filed against Kraftwerk K9, one of which has been unresolved. The details of those complaints were not publicly available as of Wednesday afternoon.
Curry and Kraftwerk K9 were sued by another dog breeder in Florida, Donald Spear, in April 2021 over Kraftwerk K9 breaching a contract for purchase of a female dog, who Spear found after purchase had severe deformities and ultimately had to be euthanized. The court ruled in Spear’s favor, but Curry successfully appealed the decision in 2023.
Curry had a preliminary hearing for the manslaughter charge scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on June 4 in Thurston County Superior Court.
