Warning: This article contains content which some readers may find distressing.
A family have been left devastated after their family dog was fatally shot by a police officer.
On August 21, Davenport Police Department were alerted to four aggressive dogs in the area and an officer responded.
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The officer pulled up near Don Hesseltine's home in Iowa where his son and his cousin were playing in the yard with their dog Myst.
Exiting his vehicle, the officer had told the boys to put the dog inside but the dog proceeded to make its way towards the officer and started growling and baring its teeth.
Within seconds the officer shot Myst and the dog retreated back to its home and died shortly after in front of the two young boys that had been playing with him just moments earlier.
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Hesseltine insists that Myst wasn't one of the dogs that was reported to be acting aggressively and now wants justice for the unwarranted killing of his beloved pet.
The bereaved owner has criticized the officer for how he handled the situation.
"It wasn’t even my dog they were looking for," Hesseltine told Our Quad Cities News. "And your best course of action is to pull out a gun and execute my dog?"
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Davenport Police Department have since released bodycam footage that reveals the moments leading up to Myst being shot.
Elsewhere, harrowing CCTV footage of the aftermath of the shooting is being widely distributed online and has sparked outrage.
A petition has now been created calling on the officer to be held accountable for his actions - and it's well on it ways to hitting 10,000 signatures.
At the time of writing over 9,500 have signed.
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Part of the petition reads: "This petition seeks justice for a personal tragedy that occurred in Davenport, IA on August 21, 2024. It began as a regular day until [the officer] responded to a call in Davenport about 4 aggressive dogs causing a problem.
"Not only was he at the wrong house. Instead of professionally trying to manage the situation, he unjustly shot and killed the beloved family dog Mysty, WHILE potentially putting the children who were innocently playing in the yard in the cross fire."
"This recklessness and lack of effort to deescalate demonstrated by [the officer] is unacceptable," it goes on. "His actions have caused this Davenport family an immense amount of grief, and endangered innocent children who were present during the incident.'"
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The police department have addressed the matter in the wake of controversy.
Part of the statement read, as per Yahoo! News: "On Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at approximately 7:20 PM, Davenport Police responded to the 800 block of North Pine Street in reference to a report of four dogs at large, appearing aggressive. The caller stated the dogs were attempting to get over a fence to reach their dog.
“While the officer was following-up to the call in the alley of 2100 Telegraph Road, a dog ran out of a yard in the officer’s direction. The officer is seen on the public video slowly backing up while the dog advances.
"The dog’s behavior became aggressive, resulting in the officer discharging his firearm at the dog. The dog died as a result of its injuries."
An internal review into the incident was conducted and has now been completed.
The department added: "Body worn camera supports the officer’s statement about what happened. Based on a review of the facts, the officer’s actions were deemed lawful."
UNILAD has approached Davenport Police Department for additional comment.
Niamh Shackleton