Davenport Police Department officer Ethan Bock opened fire on the two-year-old beloved pet — named Myst — last Wednesday after responding to a separate 911 call about four other aggressive canines roaming the streets, cops said.
Footage of the fatal encounter, which was released by the family in the aftermath, showed the officer pulling up alongside the boys as they rode their bikes up and down an alleyway with the tail-wagging dog in tow.
Just moments after telling the children to take the dog inside and get a leash, the officer could be seen getting out of his cruiser and walking towards the home.
The dog’s owner, Don Hesseltine, said the boys were in the middle of complying with the officer’s demands — but chaos erupted when a barking Myst ran up to the officer in the front yard.
“The dog runs up to him and he decides his best option is to draw his gun and murder our dog in front of my child, his cousin, and his mother all while they are standing there and could have easily been shot as well,” an outraged Hesseltine wrote on X alongside the CCTV clips.
The two boys could be heard screaming and sobbing after the gunshots rang out as they watched their injured dog run back towards the house.
The wailing dog writhed in pain for several seconds before going limp, the distressing video shows.
Myst ended up dying just a few steps from the porch, Hesseltine said.
The saga quickly sparked outrage after the footage surfaced on social media — with furious locals calling for the officer to be fired.
A Change.org petition circulating online calling for “accountability” has already attracted more than 4,000 signatures.
Police, who said they are still probing the incident, later defended the officer’s actions, saying he only opened fire when the canine “became aggressive.”
“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,” the department said in a statement.
“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.”
“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,” the department said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the incident unfolded just weeks after the same officer was accused of striking another family’s dog with his police cruiser in a nearby alley the night of July 13, the Quad-City Times reported.
In the first instance, C’edward Spears said he had been taking out the trash with his dog at about 10 p.m. when he encountered the officer.
Spears claims he warned the officer that his dog was unleashed nearby just moments before the animal was struck.
“I’m like, ‘stop — the dog.’ So he stops. He acknowledges me. Then he speeds up and he goes,” Spears told the outlet.
Bock’s bodycam footage, which was obtained by the outlet, showed the officer getting out of his vehicle and approaching the lifeless pooch.
“God dammit,” he could be heard saying before radioing for help.
“That’s why you gotta’ have your dog on a leash bro,” he added as a distressed Spears approached.