Petition For Sammy~ Save Sammy

PRESS RELEASE
15 February 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dog of Police Shooting Victim Faces Death for a Second Time

On 6 January 2015 Autumn Steele of Burlington, Iowa was tragically shot and killed by Burlington Police Officer Jesse Hill. From initial accounts the family dog apparently startled Officer Hill, who fired his weapon twice, grazing the dog and hitting Autumn in the chest, resulting in her death. The investigation of this incident is complete and is currently sitting on the desk of Des Moines County Attorney Amy Beavers. Ms. Beavers is expected to make a final determination on the investigation's findings within three weeks.

On 15 January 2015 a complaint was filed with the Burlington Police Department alleging that the family dog, Sammy, is a concern to the safety of Burlington residents. This complaint centers on the perceived dog's actions during the time of the fatal shooting. An investigation of the complaint was conducted and referred to the Burlington, Iowa Animal Hearing Board for final adjudication. This public hearing is scheduled for 25 February 2015 at 6:30 PM, Burlington Iowa City Hall, 400 Washington St, Burlington, Iowa.

The Hearing Board will decide on two matters: Whether Sammy was provoked by the situation to defend his owners, and whether Sammy is determined to be a safety concern and should, therefore, be euthanized. If the board determines that Sammy is of a safety concern, and determines that Sammy should be euthanized, there is an alternative that needs to be considered.

Ms. Gina Waters-Colbert of Columbus, Georgia, and Autumn's mother, has agreed to accept ownership of Sammy. Ms. Waters-Colbert has five acres of open and penned property in Columbus, a number of animals, and a very animal friendly environment. She is a very successful businesswoman who has received recognition and awards for her community service and business acumen. Placing Sammy in Gina's ownership will commence the healing process for a family devastated by their loss and for a community ready to move forward. This alternative is a win-win solution for all parties concerned.

The below link to the petition site addresses Ms. Gina Waters-Colbert taking ownership of Sammy and moving Sammy to Columbus, Georgia if the Board determines that Sammy will be euthanized. Signatures collected on this petition will be sent to the Animal Hearing Board for their consideration.

https://www.change.org/p/vicky-atteberry-call-to-action-to-save-the-life-of-sammy-from-a-death-panel-in-iowa?recruiter=15624018&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-custom_msg&utm_content=ci_fb_share_title_text%3Acontrol

Additional details about the shooting to include video of local news eyewitness report can be found at the following websites below. Within these reports are links to other videos and news articles.

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/cop-kill-family-dog-kills-woman-instead-front-husband-4-year-old-son/#bx2j8XtjC43VIAvL.01
http://blog.puppycidedb.com/and-your-little-dog-too/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAtRxRo2oTU&app=desktop

http://tspr.org/post/dmc-attorney-decide-charges-fatal-shooting

Autumn Steele,her dog Sammy ~ Petition to Save Sammy from Death Sentence

To Everyone ~
Autumns husband Gabe and I have discussed Sammy over the last few weeks.
Gabe would Love to keep Sammy...if the powers that be permit this.
We have discussed maybe letting one of Gabes relatives keep Sammy ,who lives in Iowa.
We have discussed offering to completely remove Sammy from the State of Iowa and bring him here to Georgia.
All these things we want on the table along with this Petition for Sammy at the Feb.26th,2015 Hearing.

The issue at hand for now,is Save Sammy from being Put to Death.
Enough has Been taken!
Its what is RIGHT!
We are ever Grateful to all of you ,for All your support ,for all the Love and for the kindness.
Autumns Family,woof woof

Autumn Steele ~ Puppycide Database Project Blog -Feb.9,2015

Autumn Steele Shot and Killed Jan.6th,2015 by Burlington Iowa patrolman Jesse Hill. The Patrolm

an was trying to shoot her dog Sammy

and did,1Bullet grazed Sammy,other Bullet killed Autumn Mae Steele.

County Attorney Amy Beavers Blocks Attorney General Investigation of Autumn Mae Steel Shooting
09 FEBRUARY 2015 on Autumn Mae Steele, Jesse Hill, Burlington Police Department, Burlington Iowa, Amy Beavers, Adam Klein
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has completed their investigation of Burlington police officer Jesse Hill's killing of Autumn Mae Steele and shooting of the Steele family dog, Sammy. The investigation includes physical evidence such as body and dash camera footage from Jesse Hill, crime scene evidence and interviews with Hill, the Steele family and neighbors who witnessed the killing. Based on Iowa's legal procedure for these types of investigations, the local county prosecutor has the ability to either proceed with handling the case herself, or passing the case along to the Iowa Attorney General's Office.


County Attorney Amy Beavers

In this case, the county prosecutor is Amy Beavers. On Friday, Beavers announced to local Burlington media that she has decided to handle the investigation herself. Beavers also added a few additional details to her announcement. Here is how local radio news station KBUR described those details:

"Des Moines County Attorney Amy Beavers said this(Fri) morning that she has spoken to a lawyer for the family of Autumn Steele and Atty. Adam Klein did not express any concerns about Beavers’ office further investigating the January 6th fatal shooting of the 34-year old Burlington woman by city patrolman Jesse Hill."

Local newspaper The Hawk Eye offers the following:

"Beavers said before making her decision to resolve the issue herself, she spoke with Klein, who she described as an attorney for Steele’s family. Beavers said Klein indicated he had no concerns about her making the decision on whether Hill’s actions were within the law without input from the attorney general’s of!ce. 'I talked to him about noon (Friday) and asked him if he had any concerns about me handling the decision myself,' she said. 'He said he didn’t. The only concerns he had was about the dog’s situation and when the documents (DCIreport) would be released.'”

These details are important; the day before this press release, Amy Beavers had told reporters from The Hawk Eye that she would:

"[...] talk to the victim’s husband, Gabriel Steele, before making a decision herself as to whether the shooting was justified or not [...] or asking the state Attorney General’s office to review the case first."

So if Beavers had spoken to Klein, and Klein was in fact an attorney for "the Steele family", then Beavers would have lived up to her promise to discuss the matter with the Steele family before deciding how to proceed.

The problem is that Adam J Klein does not represent "the Steele family", and took immediate and public umbrage to being described as such.


Attorney Adam J. Klein

Klein represents Steele's seven-year-old son Kai Schoff, one of Steele's sons. There are two other attornies representing various interests: one for Autumn Steele's mother, and a third lawyer for husband Gabriel Steele. Here is how Klein describes it:

"I am not 'a lawyer for the family of Autumn Steele,' nor did I ever claim to be. I represent her son Kai. Autumn’s husband and their son and Autumn’s mother are represented by other lawyers. She knew that, and she knew who they were and how to reach them. Her statement to the press that she spoke to a 'lawyer for the family' is a naked attempt to hide the fact that she broke her promise to discuss the matter with Autumn’s family members before coming to a decision."

Perhaps Beaver's oversight here could be forgiven. However, Klein feels there is more at work here than simply a misrepresentation of whose lawyer is whose.

"I in no way intended to convey to Ms. Beavers that I, or Autumn’s family, approved of her blocking the Attorney General’s investigation and handling this matter herself. When I hung up the phone this morning, I hadn’t decided yet. I don’t know Ms. Beavers, and I felt that she deserved the chance to review the evidence, make up her own mind, and tell me what she thought before I came to any conclusions about her judgment or her competence and whether the Attorney General would do a better job of investigating this case than she would."

Klein goes on to detail how Beavers told him that she had yet to review the evidence in the case during their conversation; yet, an little over an hour after they spoke, Beavers was giving a press conference describing how she had decided to handle the case herself, and that Klein and the Steele family had OK'd her decision. Here is how Klein voices his concerns:

"It never once occurred to me that Ms. Beavers would make this decision without even pretending to look at the evidence or reach out to the family. [...] The unopened boxes on Amy Beavers’ desk are the result of an extensive investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. DCI interviewed Ofc. Hill, spoke to witnesses, and visited the scene. They conducted forensics, pored over dispatch logs, and reviewed the autopsy findings. They watched footage from dash cams and body cams and probably a lot of other things. I don’t know exactly what they found, because right now, the only person who gets to look at that report, and evaluate the actual evidence, is Amy Beavers. Hers is the first set of hands into which DCI put that report because she is supposed to use it to make a well-informed decision about who can best move this case forward.

Apparently, she just can’t be bothered.

We deserve better than justice in about an hour. My client is seven-year-old boy who doesn’t have a mother anymore. Gabe Steele and his four-yearold son Gunner watched their wife and mother bleed to death before their eyes. This is not an easy case. Autumn Steele, her family, and the people of Iowa deserve a fair and thorough investigation into Ofc. Hill’s actions. By making this decision without reviewing any evidence, without consulting the family, in the time it takes to get a pair of discount eyeglasses, Ms. Beavers has made it clear that she will not provide one."

Adam Klein's entire press release is available for download on our website.

If Amy Beavers is so busy that she cannot spare the time to communicate with the family of the victim of her highest profile case, it seems strange that she would not ask the Attorney General's office for a bit of assistance. Beavers' reply?

"“This is what I was elected to do. It’s is my statutory duty to make decisions like this. I do not think I need the attorney general’s assistance.”

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Autumn Steele ~Petition to "Save Sammy" ~ Based on witness reports, the current understanding is that the Steele family dog Sammy was approaching Jesse Hill, and that Hill was attempting to kill Sammy when he missed and hit Autumn, instead. There is no explanation as to why Hill felt the imminent need to use a firearm as the first and only means of controlling Sammy, particularly given the fact that a 4-year-old child was right next to Autumn during the shooting. It is by providence alone that the two bullets Hill fired struck Autumn and Sammy and not the infant child in the line of fire. Following the shooting, police took Sammy into custody and has refused to return the dog to the Steele family, compounding the tragedy for those who survive Autumn. This month, on February 25th at 6:30 p.m., a hearing is scheduled before the Burlington, IA Animal Hearing Board to determine Sammy's fate. The hearing will be held at: " Burlington Iowa City Hall 400 Washington St Burlington, IA 52601 I am hoping by getting enough signatures and by bringing awareness to this tragedy we can save a life! Lets work together and get the attention of the Burlington Iowa Animal Hearing Board and let them know we want them to release "Sammy" the dog and let him go home to his family in Georgia. The family has suffered enough tragedy please help us save Sammy!

https://www.change.org/p/vicky-atteberry-call-to-action-to-save-the-life-of-sammy-from-a-death-panel-in-iowa

Please,copy and paste link to go to Petition for "Sammy".  #ReleaseTheBodyCam #ReleaseSammy #Save Sammy

Immediate Release - Law Office of Adam J. Klein,We Deserve Better than Justice in About an Hour :

 Amy Beavers Ignores Evidence, Blocks AG from Investigating Police Shooting.

We Deserve Better than Justice In About An Hour:
County Attorney Amy Beavers Blocks Attorney General from
Investigating Fatal Police Shooting Before Reviewing the Evidence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2015

Burlington, IA – I am the attorney representing Kai Schoff, a seven-year-old boy whose mother, Autumn Steele, was fatally shot at the hands of Burlington PD Officer Jesse Hill on January 6, 2015.

This morning, I learned from an article in The Hawk Eye that Iowa DCI had released a draft of its investigation into Autumn’s shooting to Amy Beavers, the Des Moines County Attorney. This evidence was provided to Ms. Beavers to allow her to decide whether to investigate Ofc. Hill’s actions herself or refer the matter to the Iowa Attorney General.

In the article, Ms. Beavers said that some of the evidence from the DCI investigation, including the transcript of its interview with Ofc. Hill, had not yet arrived. She also said that she wanted to discuss the matter with Autumn’s family before she made her decision.

I emailed Ms. Beavers this morning to introduce myself and to find out how far along she was in making her decision.

I spoke with Ms. Beavers around 11:00 this morning (Iowa time). She told me that she had just received a draft, but not the final DCI report, and that she had not reviewed it in detail. Neither had she reviewed any other of the evidence which had been submitted to her office; it had been sealed until the DCI report was released so that it could all be evaluated together.

Ms. Beavers said that she was leaning toward dealing with the case herself rather than involving the Attorney General, but had not yet decided what to do. She did not ask my opinion as to whether she should block the Attorney General’s investigation, and I did not offer it.

Ms. Beavers had also not yet spoken with Autumn’s family, as she promised in this morning’s paper to do. As I made clear to Ms. Beavers, I represent Autumn’s seven-year-old son Kai, but he was not the only victim Ofc. Hill left behind. Ms. Beavers had said that she planned on speaking with Autumn’s husband, Gabe Steele (father to their four-year-old son Gunner) and I gave her the contact information for the attorney representing Autumn’s mother, Gina Waters-Colbert.

Since Ms. Beavers had not yet had the chance to review the evidence, there was not much left to discuss; I briefly asked about a few collateral matters (such as the availability of evidence and an upcoming hearing involving the Steele’s dog) and ended the conversation.

What a prosecutor is supposed to do next is to carefully review all the evidence, speak with the victim’s family, and come to a decision about whether she or the Attorney General is better suited to further investigate this case. These are among the hardest decisions a prosecutor faces; she must carefully examine all the evidence, look within herself, and decide whether a fresh perspective might better serve the interests of justice.

In Ms. Beavers’ case, this arduous process took about an hour.

By 1:30, Ms. Beavers’ office announced to KBUR  that it had decided not to refer the case to the Iowa Attorney General and that she would handle the matter herself. Ms. Beavers also said that “she has spoken to a lawyer for the family of Autumn Steele…and Atty. Adam Klein did not express any concerns about Beavers’ office further investigating the January 6th fatal shooting of the 34-year old Burlington woman by city patrolman Jesse Hill.”

Ms. Beaver serially misrepresented our conversation.

First, I am not “a lawyer for the family of Autumn Steele,” nor did I ever claim to be. I represent her son Kai. Autumn’s husband and their son and Autumn’s mother are represented by other lawyers. She knew that, and she knew who they were and how to reach them. Her statement to the press that she spoke to a “lawyer for the family” is a naked attempt to hide the fact that she broke her promise to discuss the matter with Autumn’s family members before coming to a decision.

Second, I in no way intended to convey to Ms. Beavers that I, or Autumn’s family, approved of her blocking the Attorney General’s investigation and handling this matter herself. When I hung up the phone this morning, I hadn’t decided yet. I don’t know Ms. Beavers, and I felt that she deserved the chance to review the evidence, make up her own mind, and tell me what she thought before I came to any conclusions about her judgment or her competence and whether the Attorney General would do a better job of investigating this case than she would.

It never once occurred to me that Ms. Beavers would make this decision without even pretending to look at the evidence or reach out to the family.

Now I’ve decided. And yes, I have concerns.

The unopened boxes on Amy Beavers’ desk are the result of an extensive investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. DCI interviewed Ofc. Hill, spoke to witnesses, and visited the scene. They conducted forensics, pored over dispatch logs, and reviewed the autopsy findings. They watched footage from dash cams and body cams and probably a lot of other things. I don’t know exactly what they found, because right now, the only person who gets to look at that report, and evaluate the actual evidence, is Amy Beavers. Hers is the first set of hands into which DCI put that report because she is supposed to use it to make a well-informed decision about who can best move this case forward. Apparently, she just can’t be bothered.

We deserve better than justice in about an hour.

My client is seven-year-old boy who doesn’t have a mother anymore. Gabe Steele and his four-year-old son Gunner watched their wife and mother bleed to death before their eyes. This is not an easy case. Autumn Steele, her family, and the people of Iowa deserve a fair and thorough investigation into Ofc. Hill’s actions. By making this decision without reviewing any evidence, without consulting the family, in the time it takes to get a pair of discount eyeglasses, Ms. Beavers has made it clear that she will not provide one.

This morning I was willing to reserve judgment as to whether Ms. Beavers had the judgment, competence, and integrity to fairly and thoroughly investigate Ofc. Hill’s actions. Now I am certain that she does not.

Adam Klein
Attorney at Law
Law Offices of Adam J. Klein, LLC

###
Full text available at: https://db.tt/TCkoyvlU

Contact:
Adam Klein
6 Concourse Parkway, Suite 2920
Atlanta, GA 30360
aklein@adamkleinlaw.com
(404) 429-7981  CELL
(770) 408-1258  OFFICE
(404) 475-3091  FAX

http://youtu.be/YAtRxRo2oTU The neighbor Ed Ranck who was an eyewitness the day Autumn Steele was shot and killed,described Autumns dog "Sammy" as "Playful"

Feb.6th article in newspaper today~ The word "Playful" is nowhere in article or in press release! See video link posted and the word Playful said by Eyewitness.  "Police shooting investigation now in hands of county attorney Beavers wants to meet with slain woman's husband. By ANDY HOFFMAN ahoffman@thehawkeye.com A report on the investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation into a fatal police shooting in Burlington last month now is in the hands of the Des Moines County Attorney's Office. County Attorney Amy Beavers said Thursday she has received a "draft DCI case report but it is still awaiting a transcript of Officer (Jesse) Hill's interview" regarding the fatal shooting Jan. 6 of Autumn Steele. Steele, 34, was shot by Burlington Police Officer Hill outside her residence at 104 S. Garfield Ave. during a confrontation with her husband, Gabriel Steele, 35. Beavers said she asked DCI agents to contact Steele because "I would like to introduce myself to him and explain to him where we are in the investigation." She said she doesn't know when, or if, a meeting with Steele might occur. Beavers also said she cannot say when a final decision will be made on whether the shooting of Steele was justified or violated Iowa law or police department protocol. Beavers has two options concerning the DCI investigation. She either can make the decision herself or she can ask the Iowa Attorney General's office to review the DCI report before making her final decision. "I haven't decided whether I am going to ask the attorney general office's to review the DCI report," she said. "If I make the decision myself, it will probably be done in the next 30 days. If I ask the attorney general's office (to review the case), I don't know when the final decision will be made." Beavers also said she does not know if evidence in the case, including video and audio from body or dashboard cameras, will be released to the public. "At the end of the investigation, all evidence will become property of the Burlington Police Department," she said. "It will be up to them to decide what they will release." Steele died from a gunshot wound to the chest during a domestic disturbance with her husband in the mid¬morning hours of Jan. 6 on the sidewalk outside the couple's residence. The 31¬year¬old Hill, who has been on the police department since August 2013, has remained on paid administrative leave since the incident. A witness to the shooting said it appeared Hill was trying to thwart an attack by Steele's dog, a German shepherd mix, during the altercation between Steele and her husband. Ed Ranck, who lives across the street from the Steele residence and saw the shooting, said, "There is no belief in my mind the officer was shooting at the woman. "It appeared he was shooting at the dog when (the officer) fell to the ground," Ranck said. "It's my belief the woman was shot accidentally. The dog startled the officer. The officer began shooting at the dog. The officer was still shooting when he fell down in the snow." Steele was pronounced dead at Great River Medical Center in West Burlington. She was shot in the chest in front of the couple's 4¬year¬old son after officers were sent to the area to investigate a domestic dispute. Hill suffered dog bites in the incident and was taken to GRMC for treatment of minor wounds and laterreleased. The dog has been impounded at the Des Moines County Humane Society since the day of the shooting. A hearing has been set for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25 before Burlington's animal hearing board to determine if Sammy, the German shepherd mix, is vicious and should be euthanized. Maj. Dennis Kramer, who oversees the animal control office for the Burlington Police Department, said Gabriel Steele has been notified of the Feb. 25 hearing. "We are following city ordinance concerning dog bites," he said recently. "The dog attacked a person (Hill), off its property, on the sidewalk. Therefore, our animal control officer (Tim Ourth) was notified." Kramer said due to information Ourth gathered, the hearing will be necessary. "There is a (history by the dog) of aggression toward postal carriers and other (police) officers," he said. A spokesman in the clerk's office at Burlington City Hall, said Thursday there is no record the Steeles purchased a dog license as required by city ordinance."

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"Sammy" News shared ~ The puppycidedb project article

"And Your Little Dog, Too"
05 FEBRUARY 2015 on Puppycide, Autumn Mae Steele, Jesse Hill, Burlington Police Department, Burlington Iowa, Burlington Animal Control Office, Burlington Animal Hearing Board
The Burlington IA Police Department already killed Autumn Steele in front of her husband and 4-year-old son. Why are they trying to kill her grieving family's dog Sammy?
In a previous post, we shared the awful story of how Burlington Iowa Police Department officer Jesse Hill shot and killed Autumn Mae Steele. Details remain of the incident scarce because the agency in charge of the investigation, Iowa Department of Public Safety, and more specifically Special Agent Rick Rahn, have refused to share the copious physical evidence available surrounding the shooting. Jesse Hill was wearing a body camera, and his police cruiser's dash camera was also operational. Not only have police refused to hand over those video tapes to the media, they have yet to even mention the footage in public.

Based on witness reports, the current understanding is that the Steele family dog Sammy was approaching Jesse Hill, and that Hill was attempting to kill Sammy when he missed and hit Autumn, instead. There is no explanation as to why Hill felt the imminent need to use a firearm as the first and only means of controlling Sammy, particularly given the fact that a 4-year-old child was right next to Autumn during the shooting. It is by providence alone that the two bullets Hill fired struck Autumn and Sammy and not the infant child in the line of fire.

Following the shooting, police took Sammy into custody and has refused to return the dog to the Steele family, compounding the tragedy for those who survive Autumn. This month, on February 25th at 6:30 p.m., a hearing is scheduled before the Burlington, IA Animal Hearing Board to determine Sammy's fate. The hearing will be held at:

Burlington Iowa City Hall
400 Washington St
Burlington, IA 52601

The current membership of the Burlington Animal Hearing Board is as follows:

Vicki Atteberry - (319) 754-1956
Mark Cameron - [contact info unavailable]
Amiee Egan - Burlington Auditorium & Port Booking Coordinator
Heath Hillyard - (319) 7528355

The Animal Control Office is overseen by Burlington PD Major Dennis Kramer. He can be reached at 319-753-8355 or via email kramerd@burlingtoniowa.org.

Readers can find the Burlington Animal Control Center on Facebook.

As the Animal Control Office is overseen by the Burlington Police Department, this hearing is being performed entirely at their behest. The hearing will determine whether Sammy meets the criteria as a "dangerous dog", the consequences of which could include euthanizing Sammy. Why would the Burlington Police seek to compound their purposeless killing of Autumn Steele by killing the family dog as well? Why are investigators with-holding the videotape of Jesse Hill's shooting of Autumn Mae Steele and Sammy?

*Note: what is known,"Sammy" was shot and survived. The paper served to family on Jan.15th,2015 stated that "Sammy" would be held at "Burlington Humane Society Animal Shelter". I think he is being held at," Des Moines County Humane Society" ... are shelters one in the same? My Grandson who witnessed his Mother being killed is 3 years old. * Looked up in pdf document for board members of "Burlington animal control hearing board members" ,members,of,board stated in article by puppycidedb are those members. Gina

Autumn Steele Mother of 2 young sons~Autumn Steele was shot & killed by Burlington,Iowa Police Officer Jesse Hill on Jan.6,2015 ~Motherless Children!

Sean Rox Michael Schoff with Gina Klinner Waters-Colbert ~ Burlington, Iowa

1 month. The impact of killing a child's parent is expansive. The impact of denying responsibility is far greater as time slips by.

When "Authority" does both, you've betrayed basic civil trust for generations to come. I am so very concerned, very busy, very in the dark.

Ginas Junk Thrift & Antiques ,fresh items Everyday!

..I smell the hearing and BPD of Burlington Iowa all the way to Georgia. THE saddest part of The investigation is you get to investigate each other..Autumn does have a voice,still.

Article published today in Burlington Iowa Hawkeye newspaper COMPLETE HAWK EYE ARTICLE****
Steele shooting continues
Troubled woman involved in domestic abuse, custody battle.
By ANDY HOFFMAN ahoffman@thehawkeye.com

It has been almost a month since Autumn Steele was shot fatally in front of her home by a Burlington police officer, yet few details have been released about events leading to the shooting.
Family and friends of the 34¬year¬old woman repeatedly have demanded answers from the Burlington Police Department through Freedom of Information requests and dozens of postings on social media websites questioning how the Burlington Police Department handled the incident.
Steele was killed during a domestic disturbance about 10:30 a.m. Jan. 6 as she argued with her husband, Gabriel Steele, 35, outside the couple's home at 104 S. Garfield Ave.
Family and friends want to know why police won't release Officer Jesse Hill's body camera. He's been identified by authorities as the man who fired the shot that killed Steele. Family and friends also want police to release the dashboard video from Hill's car. He was the only officer at the scene when the shooting occurred.
A witness to the shooting said it appeared Hill was trying to thwart an attack by Steele's dog, a German shepherd mix, during the altercation between Steele and her husband.
Ed Ranck, who lives across the street from the Steeles and saw the shooting, said, "There is no belief in my mind the officer was shooting at the woman."
"It appeared he was shooting at the dog when (the officer) fell to the ground," Ranck said. "It's my belief the woman was shot accidentally. The dog startled the officer. The officer began shooting at the dog. The officer was still shooting when he fell down in the snow."
Steele was pronounced dead at Great River Medical Center in West Burlington. She was shot in the chest in front of the couple's 4¬year¬old son after officers were sent to the area to investigate a domestic dispute.
Hill suffered dog bites in the incident and was taken to GRMC for treatment of minor wounds and later released.
Many, including Steele's mother, have accused police of covering up Hill's actions, which they believe represented excessive use of force.
Burlington Police Chief Doug Beaird insisted the department is not protecting Hill. Beaird said he is prohibited from even acknowledging Hill was wearing a body camera and, if he was, whether it captured the shooting.
"It's an ongoing investigation, and the department is not at liberty to release any specific evidence regarding the incident at this time," he said, adding his department has no control over the investigation. Beaird said his department notified the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation minutes after the shooting and asked it to lead the inquiry into the fatal shooting.
DCI Special Agent Rick Rahn is in charge of the investigation and has released three brief press statements updating the investigation. However, Rahn has declined to release specific details and said last week he won't release the findings.
"When the investigation is complete, I will submit the report to the Des Moines County Attorney's Office for review," he said. "We will not be releasing any information ourselves."
Legal review
The most recent fatal police shooting in southeast Iowa occurred in August when a Fort Madison police officer shot and killed a man during a confrontation inside the man's residence. Rahn also was in charge of that inquiry.
That shooting occurred Aug. 3, and the DCI completed its investigation Sept. 14. However, before results were released, the Lee County Attorney's office asked the Iowa Attorney General's office to review the findings.
On Sept. 12, after the state attorney general's office submitted its review of the DCI investigation, the Lee County Attorney's office then cleared the police officer of any wrongdoing.
The investigation lasted about seven weeks from the time of the shooting until the officer was allowed to return to active duty.
Des Moines County Attorney Amy Beavers said last week she cannot say definitively if she will ask the Iowa Attorney General's office to review the DCI report before determining whether Hill acted within the law.
"I'm definitely considering that option," she said.
Hill, 31, has remained on paid administrative leave since the shooting.
What Beaird did say Friday is Hill, a two¬year¬veteran of the police force, has had no disciplinary problems since joining the department.
"Officer Hill has always been in good standing within the department since he was hired in August 2013," Beaird said, adding there is no indication Hill ever has been accused of using excessive force.
Beaird added he "knows of no situation where Officer Hill has discharged his firearm during routine duties as a police officer."
Court order ignored
Key issues in the case revolve around questions regarding whether Hill was justified for firing his weapon and whether Steele's court¬documented battles with mental health issues and a pattern of disregarding numerous court orders may have contributed to her death.
Court records in both Iowa and Georgia regarding domestic abuse and custody issues indicate Steele violated three court orders from two district judges within the past two years.
The last occurred the day she was shot. It's that violation authorities said may have contributed to her death.
On Jan. 5, the day before she was shot, Steele was charged with domestic abuse for attacking her husband with a spatula during an argument at their home.
After spending the night in the Des Moines County jail, Steele was released at 9:30 a.m. by District Associate Judge Mark Kruse with a direct order she not return to the couple's residence to collect her belongings without a police escort.
Instead, within an hour, she was back to the residence without an escort. There, she got involved in a physical altercation with her husband in front of their preschool son, Gunner.
Hill was dispatched to the residence for a report of a domestic disturbance about 10:30 a.m. Witnesses said when he arrived, Steele and her husband were involved in a fight. While trying to intervene, witnesses said Hill was startled by the family dog. He then fired his weapon, fatally wounding Steele. The dog also was struck.
Custody fight
A review of court records in both Iowa and Georgia revealed ongoing problems between Steele and her ex¬husband, Sean Michael Schoff, the father of her 7¬year¬old son, Kai.
Steele violated a Georgia district court judge's ruling and a Des Moines County district judge's ruling concerning the custody of Kai.
In the Georgia ruling, Steele was ordered to appear in court regarding a custody hearing about the couple's son. At Schoff's request, Georgia Superior Court Judge J. Ronald Mullins Jr. ordered Steele to return Kai to Schoff. She refused, saying she intended to keep him in Burlington.
On Aug. 14, Mullins ordered Steele to return to Georgia with the child to attend a hearing on the matter.
"The defendant (Steele) had ample notice and opportunity to be present at the hearing of this case and declined to do so even though she was ordered to do so and to bring the child," Mullins wrote in a court opinion.
Mullins conducted the hearing without Steele.
According to Georgia Superior Court documents, Schoff allowed Kai to stay with Steele in Burlington for two months on a temporary visit last summer, with Watch: Marshawn Lynch shows Conan how to make an obscene gesture Sports Illustratedthe stipulation she return the child to Georgia no later than Aug. 1 so he could enroll in school.
She refused to return the child, relying on a provision in the couple's Divorcee Parenting Plan in which custody reverted to her in August 2013 because Schoff failed to attend a hearing modifying custody. Schoff told the court he didn't attend because he had changed residences and didn't receive notification of the hearing.
Schoff again went to Mullins, seeking another order forcing Steele to return Kai to Georgia.
Imminent danger
At a subsequent hearing, Schoff presented evidence to Mullins from the Des Moines County Attorney's office and the Des Moines County Sheriff's Department indicating his son may be in danger if allowed to remain in Burlington with Steele.
Included in that hearing was evidence indicating Steele was charged in July 2013 in Des Moines County District Court with aggravated domestic abuse assault for attacking Gabriel Steele with a knife.
Court records noted she was arrested in that incident after Des Moines County Sheriff's deputies responded to a home in the 4000 block of 120th Street, where they found Gabriel Steele hiding in a bathroom.
"Upon arrival, deputies found the defendant (Autumn Steele) in the living room," court records stated. "The defendant was saying, 'The staff sergeant is in there.' The deputy observed a closed door with six stab holes in it. This door was the door that goes into the bathroom where (Gabriel Steele) was locked in hiding."
A few months after the charges against Autumn Steele were filed, the Des Moines County Attorney's office dismissed them because Gabriel Steele declined to participate in the prosecution of his wife.
After listening to testimony and reviewing two years of documents, Mullins determined Kai Schoff indeed was in "imminent danger" and again ordered Steele to return the child to Georgia.
The judge said after listening to evidence and testimony he concluded (Steele) has been "diagnosed with a bipolar condition and she drinks to excess ...
"The court heard testimony from multiple witnesses and concluded (Steele) has violent outbursts and has been neglectful of this child (Kai). On July 31, 2014, this court concluded the child was in imminent danger in his mother's care and issued an emergency order transferring custody to the father." Mullins then made Schoff the "primary physical custodian of the minor child (Kai)." Again, Steele refused.
Schoff then hired Scott Schroeder, a Burlington attorney, to file documents in Des Moines County District Court ordering Steele to adhere to the Georgia court's ruling.
Again, she refused to follow the order.
Des Moines County District Judge John Linn reviewed Schroeder's request, along with the Georgia Superior Court rulings, and agreed last September the child should be returned immediately to his father.
"The court further acknowledges the finding and conclusion of the (Georgia) Superior Court that 'there is a threat of imminent danger to this child (Kai) if ... left in the care of" Steele, Linn wrote.
She refused again.
Linn then issued an order directing the Des Moines County sheriff to coordinate with Schoff and Schroeder to assist the father in obtaining physical custody of the child "at the earliest opportunity."
"Autumn Mae Steele shall forthwith relinquish custody and physical care of Kai Michael Schoff to Sean Michael Schoff," Linn wrote.
Soon after Linn's ruling, Schoff, Schroeder and the Des Moines County Sheriff's Department made arrangements with the authorities at Black Hawk Elementary School to allow them to remove the child from the school and return him to Georgia, where he now lives with his father.
Dog hearing
In a matter related to Steele's death, a hearing has been set before Burlington's animal hearing board to determine if Sammy, the German shepherd, is vicious and should be euthanized.
Maj. Dennis Kramer, who oversees the animal control office for the Burlington police department, said the dog's owner has been notified of the Feb. 25 hearing
"We are following city ordinance concerning dog bites," he said Monday. "The dog attacked a person (Hill), off its property, on the sidewalk. Therefore, our animal control officer (Tim Ourth) was notified."
Kramer said due to information Ourth gathered, the hearing will be necessary.
"There is a (history by the dog) of aggression toward postal carriers and other (police) officers," he said.
According to city ordinance, a five¬member citizens board, which is appointed by the Burlington City Council, can declare a dog dangerous and vicious if one of the following three criteria are met:
*â The dog attacks or bites a person or animal without provocation on public or private property:
*â The dog killed or injured another animal while off its owner's property;
*â The dog is used or trained to fight. The board cannot declare an animal vicious if:
*â The dog was protecting or defending its owner's premises;
*â If the person or animal injured was trespassing on the dog owner's property, was assaulting the dog or committing a crime; *
â If the injured dog (or person) was tormenting or taunting the dog on its owner's property.
If the dog is declared vicious, it will be euthanized after a five¬day waiting period, during which the owner can appeal to district court, according to the ordinance.                       *I can smell Burlington Iowa from here. Gina  aka Ginas Junk