Davenport: In a shocking incident, a Davenport, Iowa police officer shot and killed a dog in front of its owner. The incident was caught on camera, and the video is making rounds on social media. As the news spread, more than 1,500 people have signed an online petition demanding accountability from the officer who shot the pet. The police claimed that the dog was aggressive, but the pet’s owner said that the 2-year-old dog named ‘Myst’ was his best buddy.
The video of the incident which occurred on Wednesday (August 21) is going viral on social media, and internet users are slamming the police officer for his inhumane act. The video shows the police officer arriving near the house where two children and the dog were playing on the lawn. The dog runs towards the police officer, appearing to attack him. As the dog tries to bite, the officer shoots it. The dog then runs towards the house and collapses in front of it. The shooting happened in front of the two children playing with the dog.
A woman is also seen in the video, crying inconsolably and screaming in pain as the dog dies due to its injuries. The children are also seen crying in pain, they were also terrified as the dog was shot dead in front of them. The owner of the dog has shared the petition online, appealing to the public to sign it and demand accountability from the officer. The dog’s owner, identified as Don Hesseltine, took to social media to share another video and narrate the incident.
He said, "I’m the owner of that dog, and that’s my family. To provide more context: The kids were playing in the alley with the dog when a call came in for a cop to be dispatched, many blocks away. The officer happened to be driving by and told my son and his cousin to take the dog inside, which they were doing. Instead of continuing his pursuit of the four dogs at large, the officer decided to instigate an unnecessary altercation that ultimately could have been avoided..."
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Hesseltine’s video shows the entire incident as it unfolded, captured by another CCTV camera installed in the lane where the kids were riding bicycles with the dog moments before the incident. He also shared the link to the petition and urged the public to sign it.
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