WARNING: This post contains graphic content
A family in Ohio is demanding justice after their dog, a Labrador Retriever, was shot by a police officer outside their home. Tammie Kerns, in an emotional interview with local TV station WKYC, recounted the incident in Lorain where officers arrived while she and her daughter were trying to control their loose dogs.
Disturbing body camera footage captured officer Elliott Palmer shooting at Dixie, one of the dogs, as she approached him. Bleeding, the dog collapsed and fled into the street. Kerns expressed her frustration, stating that the officer continued to shoot at Dixie despite her being injured and seeking safety. In their pursuit for justice, Kerns’ family participated in a rally outside the police department and plans to file a lawsuit.
“Justice for Dixie”
A “Justice for Dixie” rally was held with yet another family whose dog was shot and killed by the Lorain Police Department.
“After she was shot one time in the street, he should have just let it go and let us get the dog and take her where she needed to be treated,” Kearns tearfully told WKYC. “But he didn’t do that. She was crawling — useless, helpless — in the street. He continued shooting her. She was trying to come to safety, and he just kept shooting her three more times after the first time.”
She added, “He should lose his job. He should go to jail. He should rot. I don’t want him to shoot somebody else. He needs to be off the streets. There were innocent bystanders nearby.”
Lieutenant Jacob Morris of the Lorain Police Department attended the rally to do damage control. “I want to offer our condolences to the Kerns family,” Morris said. “Regardless of the situation, they’re dealing with the loss of a family member. It hurts to even say that we were involved in that, but with that being said we can offer our condolences – and we certainly, certainly do. I’ve spoken to the family and trying to be a resource for them as the investigative process rolls out.”
An epidemic
According to a recent study, police officers in the United States shoot and kill 25-30 dogs every single day. Many organizations and advocates are actively working to develop and implement programs that focus on educating law enforcement on dog behavior, de-escalation techniques, and the use of non-lethal force when dealing with animals.
