Ohio residents demand justice after police officer kills family dog

Residents of a small Ohio town held a rally on Friday demanding that the police officer who shot and killed a family dog be held responsible.
Citizens of Lorain, Ohio, have been speaking out following the incident, which occurred last week and began gaining social media traction following the release of police bodycam footage this past Wednesday. The incident began, owner Mellenie Kerns told WEWS-TV Cleveland, when her four Labrador retrievers ran out the front door of her house as she was leaving to run an errand.
Kerns said a police officer pulled over as she was attempting to round her dogs up, adding, "It wasn't a call. No one waved him down. I thought, 'Hey, this man's going to help us stop traffic if any of our dogs do happen to run in the street.'"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Instead, the bodycam footage shows the officer in question, Elliot Palmer, shooting one of the dogs, a three-year-old yellow lab named Dixie, as she ran up to him. Kerns said that the shot paralyzed Dixie in her hind legs, at which point Palmer can be seen firing at least three more shots. Dixie died on the sidewalk shortly after, Kerns said.
WEWS-TV noted that Palmer's incident report described Dixie as having charged at him. However, Kerns has claimed Dixie was harmless and that people "all want to play with her or let her lick them and be loveable, as labs want to do." The bodycam footage also shows another dog walking up to Palmer prior to Dixie, as he puts his hand up but does not appear to take any action.
As Lorain residents demanded justice, the Lorain Police Department released a statement saying an investigation was underway and they were "moving quickly to gather the facts." The bodycam footage, which is graphic, can be seen below:
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
October 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's consolation prize, government workers during shutdown, and more
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
The Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners being released
The Explainer Triumphant Donald Trump addresses the Israeli parliament as families on both sides of the Gaza war reunite with their loved ones
-
Man charged over LA’s deadly Palisades Fire
speed read 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht has been arrested in connection with the fire that killed 12 people
-
4 dead in shooting, arson attack in Michigan church
Speed Read A gunman drove a pickup truck into a Mormon church where he shot at congregants and then set the building on fire
-
Tom Phillips: the manhunt for forest fugitive and his abducted children
In the Spotlight Three children recovered safely after four-year manhunt ends in police shootout
-
2 kids killed in shooting at Catholic school mass
Speed Read 17 others were wounded during a morning mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murders
speed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bail
Speed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambush
Speed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrial
Speed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial