Game agents who detained three non-Indian men acted lawfully, an official with the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe of Washington said.

Paul McCollum, the director of the tribe's natural resources department, said the agents are not with the tribal police department. He said the tribe has been concerned about illegal hunting.

McCollum has submitted a report on the incident to state authorities. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is investigating whether the game agents had the authority to detain the men on off-reservation property.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is also looking into the incident. The tribe is not cross-commissioned with the county.

Get the Story:
Port Gamble S'Klallam official defends tribal police operating in Jefferson County (The Peninsula Daily News 10/9)

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Port Gamble police incident under review (10/8)