Iowa woman killed by police officer who was shooting at the victims dog

January 7, 2015

A Burlington, Iowa woman was shot and killed by a police officer as the officer was responding to a domestic call, The Des Moines Register reported January 7.

According to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations media release on Wednesday, the shooting occurred Tuesday morning around 10:25 a.m. when Burlington Police Officer Jesse Hill responded to a domestic violence call.

Autumn Mae Steele, 34, died Tuesday after she was shot by Burlington Police Officer Jesse Hill, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations said in a news release Wednesday.

The shooting occurred when Burlington Police officers responded to a domestic dispute in Burlington at about 10:25 a.m. Tuesday.

KBUR News reported the victim had just been released from the county jail Monday afternoon for attacking her partner Gabriel Steele, causing serious bodily injury.

A neighbor, Ed Ranck, who witnessed the shooting, reported it appeared to be an accident, caused when the couple’s German Shepherd startled office Hill as he was trying to break up an argument. Hill fell in the snow and shot the dog.

According to an article by The Free Thought Project, Gabriel Steele was loading up their 4-year-old son, Autumn came out of the house and got into an altercation with him. She was followed by the dog.

Witnesses report that the dog was being playful, but apparently still threatened the officer which caused him to draw his pistol and begin shooting. He was still shooting when he fell to the ground.

Initial findings state that Hill fired his weapon twice with one round hitting Steele in the middle part of her torso, Autumn was taken to an area hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Officer Hill, a member of the Burlington police force since August 2013, was treated at Great River Medical Center for at least one dog bite. Special Agent Rick Rahn didn’t know how many bites Hill received and declined to comment on how the dog was connected to the shooting.

The Iowa DCI continues the investigation, and an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday at the University of Iowa Decedent Care Unit.