A small Ohio town is mourning the loss of a beloved family pet and demanding justice over its shooting death at the hands of a local police officer.
Lorain Officer Elliot Palmer is accused of shooting “Dixie” after the dog and three others ran out of their home. It was the afternoon of July 2, and the pets were apparently alarmed by nearby fireworks when they bolted outside.
Pet owner Tammie Kerns told reporters that she and her daughter were attempting to get the dogs back in the residence when Palmer arrived. Bodycam footage showed a disturbing sequence of events.
One of the family dogs dashed towards Palmer before returning to the yard. It was then that Dixie, a 3-and-a-half-year-old Labrador/golden retriever mix, ran toward the officer.
He fired one shot, hitting the dog, and then three more as the wounded pet ran away. Palmer ordered Kerns to “get back” when she confronted him about shooting Dixie.
Justice for Dixie — the family Labrador Retriever senselessly shot by Lorain, Ohio, police officer Elliott Palmer.@LorainPD should be ashamed. You have traumatized everyone who witnessed that friendly dog being shot multiple times.
Officer Elliott Palmer is a sick psychopath. https://t.co/i6IzU3PumV
— RobertMCle 🐭 (@RobertMCle) July 7, 2023
The video showed the wounded animal dragging herself to the curb before she died.
Several neighbors were drawn to the scene and angrily demanded answers as to why he deemed it necessary to shoot the dog. Palmer told the crowd, “Everyone get back!” before driving away when other officers appeared.
The story and horrific video quickly went viral.
Kerns reported that requests for interviews have come in from as far away as New Zealand. A local medical assistant and animal lover, Lisa Hughes, started a petition demanding Palmer’s removal from the force that has garnered over 25,000 signatures.
Hughes told the New York Post that she was “motivated and felt compelled to speak out on behalf of the family and the dog.” She said she stepped up because the family was just trying to get through it and not likely in a position to take action at the time.
She said that she thought the story would possibly get out in Ohio but did not expect the worldwide attention it brought.
The officer has since been placed on leave.
Hughes said she “fully supports the law and our law enforcement.” However, this act by a “rogue police officer” cannot go unpunished. She noted he fired four bullets in an area where a child could have been hit.
Lorain Police Lt. Jacob Morris spoke at the Friday rally. He said it is a cause of “concern from the community” and offered his condolences to the family.
