The dog’s owner spoke during public comment and when he was told his three minutes to speak were up, he threw the podium onto the ground.
DAVENPORT, Iowa — Graphic content warning: This article contains body cam footage of the incident and information that may be distressing.
Tensions were high at the first Davenport City Council meeting since a DPD police officer fatally shot a dog in front of its family on Aug. 21. The officer had been responding to a call regarding four dogs in the area that appeared aggressive, but it’s unclear whether the dog killed — Myst — was part of this initial call. Myst’s owner, Don Hesseltine, said he wasn’t.
The meeting took place just hours after the Davenport Police Department announced it had completed its review of the incident, along with releasing body cam video worn by the officer. News 8 has placed that entire video towards the bottom of the article due to its graphic content.
In the video, the officer gets out of his car and starts walking towards two children and a woman. He had talked with the two children just seconds prior about putting Myst on a leash and police said he got out of his car to speak with the woman. As he starts to walk towards the group, that’s when the dog can be seen barking and running towards him. The officer attempts to greet the dog, sticking out his hand for it to sniff. The dog then lunged at him multiple times in what the officer said he believed was an attempt to bite him. That’s when two shots were fired.
According to a statement from DPD, the officer’s actions have been “deemed lawful.” Neither the DPD nor the City of Davenport have released the name of the officer involved. There has been no official confirmation on whether or not the responding officer was bitten.
The chambers were packed Wednesday with people supporting the family of Don Hesseltine and asking for accountability.
“Our dog Myst was more than just a pet. He was a cherished member of our family, bringing us joy, comfort and loyalty,” Hesseltine said. “He was taken from us from a cowardly police officer who valued his own safety over ours.”
Hesseltine threw the podium he was speaking at after he was told his three minutes were up. Family members, friends and even strangers spoke against the city’s handling of the incident.
“Because the law is here to protect, and there’s a lot of really good officers out there,” one Davenport resident said. “And there’s a lot of things we can’t control, but there is definitely something about this that doesn’t sit right with me.”
While the Davenport Police Department deemed the officer’s actions lawful, one woman said those actions weren’t appropriate. The mother of one of the boys in the video also questioned those actions.
“Was there no other way to handle the situation? Could there have been a different approach one that may have saved our dog and spared us this grief?” she said.
She said other workers like delivery drivers also handle stranger’s dogs without lethal force.
“Davenport is full of gun crimes all the time, but when police participate in it, it’s justifiable, even when a family is standing feet away from them with bullets being shot in their direction,” she said.
Hesseltine said he appreciates the support his family has received.
“The outreach of the community here in Davenport was great. I believe everybody that feels that there was an injustice done, but unfortunately justice was not served,” Hesseltine said.
News 8 initially reported on the incident when two videos were posted by Hesseltine on Aug. 22. He has since started a GoFundMe to help the family heal from the incident, according to the donation page.
Here is the police department’s entire statement, including the officer’s report, on the incident. It’s DPD’s second statement on the incident. The department’s initial statement sent the day after can be found in our previous reporting at the bottom of the article.
The City of Davenport also released a statement on Wednesday. The City’s statement mentions a report from the Quad City Times regarding another incident on July 13 involving the same officer and a dog.
GRAPHIC CONTENT: Davenport Police body cam shows officer fatally shoot a dog
Previous reporting from Thursday, Aug. 22
Videos circulating online show a Davenport police officer fatally shooting a dog on Wednesday, Aug. 21. The police department has since confirmed the incident.
The incident was captured by two outdoor cameras around 7:42 p.m. The first video shows the lawn outside of the house and the second, posted hours later, shows an alleyway near the house. Both videos were shared by Don Hesseltine, the dog’s owner, on Facebook.
The first video, posted at 12:27 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, shows the officer stepping out of his squad 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 to the officer. Once it gets to the officer, it stops barking for a second before it starts barking again and the officer can be seen backing up. That’s when two shots can be heard in the video. The dog then runs back to the house, whimpering, before it falls down in front of the porch injured. The dog, whose name was Myst, did not survive.
The second video of the alleyway shows the officer pulling up to the two children on bicycles with Myst walking alongside. According to Hesseltine, the officer asked the kids to put the dog on a leash and the kids can be seen walking towards the home to do this. That’s where the events of the first video unfolded.
According to Davenport police, the department received a report of four dogs who appeared aggressive in the 800 block of North Pine Street. Police said the officer was following up the call in the alley of 2100 Telegraph Road, which is presumed to be where he ran into the two children. The address is about a block over from where the initial call came from. Hesseltine told News 8 that Myst wasn’t a part of that initial call.
“Turns to find out they weren’t even the right neighborhood,” Hesseltine said Thursday. “My innocent dog shot down.”
Hesseltine’s family is now left to pick up the pieces after losing Myst, who he said was his and his son’s best friend.
“This just isn’t a dog, this is a family member, you know,” Hesseltine said. “How would that guy feel if I was walking in his, in his yard and shot his kid? It’s the same thing to us. That dog was a brother to my son, a dog was a kid to me.”
Police did not say whether or not the dog bit the officer but Hesseltine told News 8 that he didn’t. Hesseltine said his child is going to mistrust police after the event.
“He said, ‘Dad, how am I supposed to trust these guys to take care of us?’ He goes, ‘Why didn’t he just tase my dog?'” Hesseltine said. “My son is seven.”
Hesseltine said he wants the department to set a better example, calling the officer “trigger happy.”
“It’s a d**n dog. If he bites you in the ankle, you get bandaged up and you can go fight another day,” he said. “My dog can’t now, he’s dead.”
Here is the full statement on the incident from Davenport police.
The Davenport Police Department is aware of a public video showing an incident involving an officer discharging his firearm in an encounter with a dog, as family members are present.
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.
Standard practice in these circumstances includes a department review of videos from the neighborhood if available, body-worn cameras, vehicle cameras, and all other information available at the time. The Davenport Police Department is committed to taking the time to ensure all standards, policies and procedures of the department are followed.
Davenport Police are investigating the incident. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
