IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Relatives of a 34-year-old mother who was mistakenly killed by an Iowa police officer are accusing city and state officials of unfairly withholding evidence gathered during the investigation into her death.
Autumn Steele’s relatives said they are outraged that a lawyer for the city of Burlington and its insurer recently abandoned negotiations aimed at allowing them to access the state’s investigation materials. They say they want more answers about Steele’s Jan. 6 death, which happened when a rookie Burlington officer responding to a domestic disturbance tried to shoot the family’s dog but shot Steele in the chest instead.
A prosecutor determined that the shooting was justified because the dog attacked the officer, who has since returned to work without having been disciplined. But authorities have withheld Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation reports documenting the agency’s review of the shooting.
Steele’s mother, Gina Colbert of Columbus, Georgia, recently traveled to Iowa to demand the “full and unconditional release” of the records, saying authorities were defying the law.
“Her family and the people of Burlington deserve to know the truth,” Colbert said during a Saturday rally in Burlington.