BSF
2015-01-10 06:19:56 UTC
The shooting death of an Iowa woman by a police officer trying
to simultaneously quell a domestic dispute and ward off a
surprise attack by an aggressive dog was likely an accident,
authorities said.
Autumn Mae Steele, 34, was struck in the chest by an errant
bullet fired by Burlington Police Officer Jesse Hill, The
(Burlington, IA) Hawk Eye reports. The shooting occurred about
10:25 a.m. Tuesday in Burlington, one of Iowas Quad Cities
nestled along the Mississippi River in the southeast corner of
the state.
When she was shot, Steele had been out of jail for less than an
hour after being arrested Monday and held overnight on
misdemeanor charges of domestic abuse causing injury.
Hill had escorted the woman back to her residence to collect
some belongings when another argument ensued with her husband,
Gabriel Steele, as he was loading the couples 4-year-old son
into a vehicle.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene complicated by slippery, icy
conditions that caused Hill to fall while firing his weapon.
A man who declined to be identified told WQAD-TV that Autumn
Steele was beating up on her husband.
When Hill ran over to break up the fight, the dog ran over to
the cop, kind of in a playful way (and) jumped up on the cops
back, the witness said. I dont believe the cop ever even seen
the dog until he was on his back. He spun around trying to deal
with the dog. He pulled his weapon and he was firing at the dog.
I believe he shot one before he went down, but Im not positive
about that, the witness continued. It happened so quickly, so
both shots might have happened while he was falling down, during
which he hits the lady and she went down.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, which is overseeing
the investigation into the shooting, said its preliminary
findings support a tragic accident. The DCI confirmed that Hill
fired his weapon twice.
Incident Touches Already Frayed Nerve
The incident has become more fuel for a firestorm of criticism
that has erupted against police since the police-involved
shooting of an unarmed black teen in Ferguson, MO.
The Free Thought Project website, a news aggregation site
established to incite change and whose frequently covered
topics include the Ferguson shooting, characterized the incident
as a tragic case of police incompetence.
Tell Us:
Is widespread criticism against police in the months following
the Ferguson shooting justified?
The very government agency who claims the authority to carry
deadly weapons in all situations often disregard the heavy
responsibility and end up hurting those they ostensibly
protect, the Free Thought Project writer opined.
RT.com, which urges its readers to question more, ran a story
under the headline Iowa cop shoots woman dead in front of
family, while trying to pacify their dog.
After the shooting, another officer arrived at the scene and
both tried to calm Gabriel Steele, who wanted to help his wife.
Im a combat veteran, the distraught Steele reportedly shouted
at police. What are you guys doing? Let me help.
Autumn Steele was pronounced dead at a local hospital and Hill
was treated for at least one dog bite. Iowa DCI Special Agent in
Charge Rick Rahn told the Des Moines (IA) Register he didnt
know how many bites the officer sustained, or the severity of
his injuries.
Hill has been an officer for Burlington since August 2013.
The DCI is continuing its investigation. Results of an autopsy
performed Thursday were not available.
http://patch.com/iowa/iowacity/police-cop-aims-dog-kills-woman-
instead
to simultaneously quell a domestic dispute and ward off a
surprise attack by an aggressive dog was likely an accident,
authorities said.
Autumn Mae Steele, 34, was struck in the chest by an errant
bullet fired by Burlington Police Officer Jesse Hill, The
(Burlington, IA) Hawk Eye reports. The shooting occurred about
10:25 a.m. Tuesday in Burlington, one of Iowas Quad Cities
nestled along the Mississippi River in the southeast corner of
the state.
When she was shot, Steele had been out of jail for less than an
hour after being arrested Monday and held overnight on
misdemeanor charges of domestic abuse causing injury.
Hill had escorted the woman back to her residence to collect
some belongings when another argument ensued with her husband,
Gabriel Steele, as he was loading the couples 4-year-old son
into a vehicle.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene complicated by slippery, icy
conditions that caused Hill to fall while firing his weapon.
A man who declined to be identified told WQAD-TV that Autumn
Steele was beating up on her husband.
When Hill ran over to break up the fight, the dog ran over to
the cop, kind of in a playful way (and) jumped up on the cops
back, the witness said. I dont believe the cop ever even seen
the dog until he was on his back. He spun around trying to deal
with the dog. He pulled his weapon and he was firing at the dog.
I believe he shot one before he went down, but Im not positive
about that, the witness continued. It happened so quickly, so
both shots might have happened while he was falling down, during
which he hits the lady and she went down.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, which is overseeing
the investigation into the shooting, said its preliminary
findings support a tragic accident. The DCI confirmed that Hill
fired his weapon twice.
Incident Touches Already Frayed Nerve
The incident has become more fuel for a firestorm of criticism
that has erupted against police since the police-involved
shooting of an unarmed black teen in Ferguson, MO.
The Free Thought Project website, a news aggregation site
established to incite change and whose frequently covered
topics include the Ferguson shooting, characterized the incident
as a tragic case of police incompetence.
Tell Us:
Is widespread criticism against police in the months following
the Ferguson shooting justified?
The very government agency who claims the authority to carry
deadly weapons in all situations often disregard the heavy
responsibility and end up hurting those they ostensibly
protect, the Free Thought Project writer opined.
RT.com, which urges its readers to question more, ran a story
under the headline Iowa cop shoots woman dead in front of
family, while trying to pacify their dog.
After the shooting, another officer arrived at the scene and
both tried to calm Gabriel Steele, who wanted to help his wife.
Im a combat veteran, the distraught Steele reportedly shouted
at police. What are you guys doing? Let me help.
Autumn Steele was pronounced dead at a local hospital and Hill
was treated for at least one dog bite. Iowa DCI Special Agent in
Charge Rick Rahn told the Des Moines (IA) Register he didnt
know how many bites the officer sustained, or the severity of
his injuries.
Hill has been an officer for Burlington since August 2013.
The DCI is continuing its investigation. Results of an autopsy
performed Thursday were not available.
http://patch.com/iowa/iowacity/police-cop-aims-dog-kills-woman-
instead