The Davenport Police Department says Officer Ethan Bock's actions were lawful when he exited his cruiser and approached the family he previously told to leash their dog on August 21 before firing his gun twice, killing their dog, Myst.
Bodycam footage shows Bock exiting his vehicle after telling Don Hesseltine and Brandy Russell's son and nephew to leash their dog after receiving reports of a pack of four dogs attempting to jump a resident's fence.
The kids and Myst were returning to their house when Officer Bock exited his vehicle. The department stated in the press release that Bock was going to inform Russell of his interaction with her son.
That's when Myst approached Bock, barking and jumping towards him.
In the press release, Officer Bock includes his statement on the events that occurred on August 21.
“The dog charged me at full speed, barking aggressively at me. I overheard the adult woman say “oh no”. I began to back up, holding my left hand out in hopes the dog would catch my scent and back away from me. The pitch of the dog’s bark changed to a threatening bark. The dog continued barking at me, baring its teeth at me. I observed the dog to be salivating from the mouth. The dog lunged at me multiple times, snapping its teeth at me in an attempt to bite me. I dodged the dog multiple times as it lunged at me while snapping his teeth. This put me in fear of being seriously injured. I drew my service handgun and continued to back up. The dog lunged at me as I was backing up, trying to bite me. I discharged my firearm twice, striking the dog.”
Hesseltine started a GoFundMe seeking $5,000. "Your support will help us cover the costs of counseling for our family and the legal fees necessary to bring those responsible to justice," according to the donation page.
The Quad City Times reported yesterday that the same officer involved in the shooting also struck and killed another dog, Muneca, last month. That dog's owner, Lacindra Spears, received $1,700 to replace Muneca but says the money is not enough to replace the dog that helped with her medical condition and wants disciplinary action taken against the officer.
The city of Davenport says in the press release, "The violent threats and harassment on social media targeting the officer and his family are wrong and terribly inappropriate."
Attached are the videos obtained during the department's review.
