Police officer shoots dog in Davenport, Iowa

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Content warning: This article contains information that may be disturbing to some readers.

Davenport police have completed their investigation into an Aug. 21 incident in which an officer shot and killed a dog in front of his family. Police have also released bodycam video of the officer.

According to a statement from the DPD, the officer's actions were “deemed lawful.” Neither the DPD nor the City of Davenport have released the name of the officer involved. There is no official confirmation as to whether or not the officer was also bitten.

News 8 first reported on the incident when dog owner Don Hesseltine posted two videos on August 22.

Here is the police department's full statement on the incident, including the officer's report. It is the second statement from DPD on the incident. The department's first statement, sent the day after, can be found in our previous coverage at the end of the article.

The city of Davenport also released a statement Wednesday, citing a Quad City Times report about another incident on July 13 involving the same officer and a dog.

Previous reporting from Thursday, August 22

Videos circulating online show a Davenport police officer shooting a dog on Wednesday, August 21. Police have since confirmed the incident.

The incident was captured by two outdoor cameras at around 7:42 p.m. The first video shows the front lawn of the house and the second, posted hours later, shows an alley near the house. Both videos were shared on Facebook by Don Hesseltine, the dog's owner.

The first video, posted at 12:27 a.m. Thursday, shows the officer getting out of his patrol car and taking a few steps toward two children, a woman, and a black dog in their yard. When the officer is at the edge of the lawn, the dog begins barking and runs toward the officer. Once it's with the officer, it stops barking for a second before starting barking again and the officer is seen backing away. Two gunshots are then heard on the video. The dog then runs back toward the house whining before falling to the ground injured in front of the porch. The dog, named Myst, did not survive.

The second video of the alley shows the officer riding up to the two children on bikes while Myst walks alongside them. According to Hesseltine, the officer told the children to put the dog on a leash and the children can be seen walking toward the house to do so, which is where the events of the first video took place.

According to Davenport Police, the department received a report of four dogs acting aggressive in the 800 block of North Pine Street. Police said the officer responded to the call in the alley of 2100 Telegraph Road, where he believed he encountered the two children. The address is about a block away from where the first call came from. Hesseltine told News 8 that Myst was not part of that first call.

“It turns out it wasn't even the right neighborhood,” Hesseltine said Thursday. “My innocent dog was shot.”

Hesseltine's family must now pick up the pieces after losing Myst, who he said was his and his son's best friend.

“This is not a dog, this is a family member,” Hesseltine said. “How would the guy feel if I walked in his yard and shot his child? For us, it's the same. This dog was a brother to my son, a dog was a child to me.”

Police did not disclose whether the dog bit the officer, but Hesseltine told News 8 that it did not. Hesseltine said his child will distrust police after the incident.

“He said, 'Dad, how am I supposed to trust these guys to take care of us?' He said, 'Why didn't he just taser my dog?'” Hesseltine said. “My son is seven.”

Hesseltine said he wanted the department to set a good example and called the officer “trigger-happy.”

“It's a dog. If it bites your ankle, you'll get bandaged and can fight another day,” he said. “My dog ​​can't do that now, he's dead.”

Here is the Davenport Police Department's full statement on the incident.

Davenport Police are aware of a public video showing an incident in which an officer fires his firearm during an encounter with a dog while family members are present.

On Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at approximately 7:20 p.m., Davenport Police responded to a call in the 800 block of North Pine Street regarding four dogs on the loose that appeared aggressive. The caller stated the dogs were attempting to climb over a fence to get to their dog.

While the officer was investigating the call in the alley of 2100 Telegraph Road, a dog ran out of a yard toward him. On public video, the officer can be seen slowly backing up as the dog approaches. The dog's behavior became aggressive, which led to the officer firing his weapon at the dog. The dog died from his injuries.

Standard practice in these circumstances includes a review of neighborhood video (if available), body-worn cameras, vehicle cameras, and any other information available at the time. The Davenport Police Department takes the time to ensure all police department standards, policies, and procedures are followed.

Davenport Police are investigating the incident. More information will be released as it becomes available.