Lorain police officer shoots, kills dog; family expresses outrage | wkyc.com
By: wkyc. com
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Video of the incident's aftermath made its way onto social media Sunday. The dog's owner says the officer shot the Lab multiple times.
LORAIN, Ohio — Disturbing videos have surfaced on social media of a Lorain dog getting shot by a police officer on Sunday, and it's making a lot of people upset online.
The Labrador retriever died from the injuries.
Owner Tammie Kerns tells 3News four of her dogs got loose early Sunday afternoon and she and her daughter were trying to gather them. She says a Lorain officer pulled up to their home on Oberlin Avenue near 8th Street, got out of his vehicle, and told them to get their dogs under control.
During the commotion, their Labrador retriever named Dixie ran out into the street, with Tammie alleging the officer tried to get her to come to him first. The Kernses told WKYC the officer shot the dog multiple times and that Dixie died at the scene.
"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," Tammie said, in tears. "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."
Kerns claims that the dog did not run towards the officer, but was just running away. She plans to file a lawsuit against Lorain PD and wants the officer fired.
"He should lose his job," she said. "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."
Lorain Acting Police Chief Michael Failing released a statement Monday, confirming one of his officers "used force on a dog."
"While all the facts are not yet known, the investigation has been assigned to the Lorain Police Department's Office of Professional Standards to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the use of force," he wrote in the statement.
3News asked a Lorain Police Department spokesperson Monday morning if the officer had been put on leave, and they said no.
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I think the cop should be fired. Next time he will shoot a human being.
I agree, he should be fired and charged.
Agree
You cant see it so much in this video, but in another video I saw the dog is just running up to him like dogs do when they want attention or want to be petted.
This cop may be the asshole of the year.
First of all the woman should have had control of her dogs. She didn't. They weren't obeying verbal commands and she and her daughter couldn't physically restrain them.
Second while she and her daughter know that the dog isn't aggressive- and is just a loving pet- those that haven't been around the animals don't know that.
Third the officer commanded the first dog that came at him away and it obeyed. The dog he shot didn't- it came straight towards him- not sure if he attempted a verbal command or not but it didn't veer off as the first dog did. To a non dog person, or a person that is afraid of dogs, that is more than enough justification for self defense.
As for firing multiple shots into the dog when it was wounded and trying to get away. Wounded animals act differently- the officer was intent on putting down what he considered a vicious animal. The owner can scream all she wants- she wasn't in control of her dogs- and that is the bottom line.
Not sure of the rules in Louisiana; but I know for a fact that owners can be fined heavily if their dogs escape and they cannot immediately get them under control in Michigan. It doesn't matter if they attack anyone or other animals or not. While she is demanding the officer be fired- she might be receiving a present in the form of a hefty fine from the county.
The cop is a scumbag.
Dogs that are attacking bark and growl. This dog was doing neither, she just wanted to play. You dont shoot a family pet because it is running toward you.
I'll bet you this cop has other complaints against him.
Neighbors who saw the whole thing also yelled at the cop and wanted to know why.