Her daughter, still sniffling but calmer now, looked up at her mother. “Rocky didn’t hurt me, Mommy. He was just lying there,” she said softly, her small voice affirming the truth captured on video.

The police officers, who had been silent observers up to this point, nodded. “It’s clear that this was just an unfortunate accident,” one of them said, glancing at his partner. “No harm done by the dog. We’ll file our report accordingly.”

With the matter resolved, the atmosphere in the room began to lighten. The woman turned to her daughter, hugging her tightly and murmuring reassurances. Then, she looked back at me. “Thank you for having that camera. And for being so understanding. I was just so scared.”