According to Davenport police, Officer Ethan Bock acted lawfully on August 21 when he got out of his patrol car, walked toward the family, whom he had previously asked to put their dog on a leash, and then fired his weapon twice, killing their dog, Myst.
Bodycam footage shows Bock getting out of his vehicle after telling the son and nephew of Don Hesseltine and Brandy Russell to put their dog on a leash after receiving reports of a pack of four dogs attempting to jump over a resident’s fence.
The children and Myst were on their way home when Officer Bock exited his vehicle. The department’s press release said Bock would inform Russell of his dealings with their son.
At that moment, Myst approached Buck, barking and jumping.
In the press release, Officer Bock also comments on the events of August 21.
“The dog charged me at full speed, barking aggressively. I heard the adult female say “Oh no.” I began to back away and extended my left hand in hopes that the dog would detect my scent and back away from me. The pitch of the dog’s barking changed to a threatening bark. The dog continued to bark at me and bared its teeth. I noticed that the dog had drool coming from its mouth. The dog lunged at me several times, snapping its teeth in an attempt to bite me. I dodged the dog several times as it lunged at me, snapping. This caused me to become fearful of being seriously injured. I drew my service weapon and continued to back away. The dog lunged at me as I backed away and attempted to bite me. I fired my weapon twice, striking the dog.”
Hesseltine started a GoFundMe campaign with the goal of raising $5,000. “Your support will help us cover the cost of counseling our family and the legal fees necessary to bring those responsible to justice,” the fundraising page states.
The Quad City Times reported yesterday that the same police officer involved in the shooting also beat and killed another dog, Muneca, last month. That dog’s owner, Lacindra Spears, was paid $1,700 to replace Muneca. However, she says the money is not enough to replace the dog that helped her with her medical condition and is calling for disciplinary action against the officer.
The City of Davenport stated in its press release: “The threats of violence and harassment on social media directed at the officer and his family are false and completely inappropriate.”
Attached you will find the videos received during the department’s review.
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_Extraction_1_1_Axon_Body_4_Video_2024-08-21_1941_D01A0750S.mp4
_Extraction_1_1_2130_Telegraph_Surveillance_Material.mp4
