Police: Cop Aims at Dog, Kills Woman Instead

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 Iowa’s 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 couple’s 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 cop’s back,” the witness said. “I don’t 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 I’m 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.”

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“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. “I’m 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 didn’t 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.