Police Officer Sparks Outrage, Investigation After Shooting Family's Dog

The owners of a "lovable" 3-year-old dog named Dixie, who was fatally shot by a local police officer, opened up to Newsweek about the confusion and heartbreak their family is facing following the pet's death.

The officer said he had no choice but to shoot the dog to "stop the threat" as he feared for his safety in the July 2 incident.

Tammie Kerns, 52, of Lorain, Ohio, and her 25-year-old daughter Mellenie told Newsweek in an interview over Facebook Messenger that their dog Dixie was "lovable, playful, sneaky, and mischievous" golden Labrador mix. The Kernses said they had to watch their beloved pet bleed to death on the sidewalk in front of their home on Sunday after Dixie was shot multiple times by a Lorain Police Department (LPD) officer.

Just a few months ago, a CBS poll showed that "large bipartisan majorities believe at least some policing changes are necessary", including 61 percent of Democrats, 47 percent of independents, and 29 percent of Republicans, who all say that it should be a "high priority." It's a trend shown in polls by ABC News and Pew Research as well, dating back to 2020.

Tammie said Dixie and three other dogs rushed out the door when she was leaving the house that afternoon. As she was wrangling the pups with her daughter, a police officer pulled up in front of her house in the Northeast Ohio suburb.

Lorain police Lieutenant Jacob Morris told Newsweek in an email that the department's office of professional standards is currently investigating the shooting.

At roughly 1 p.m. on July 2, LPD Officer Elliot Palmer was on patrol when he saw several large dogs roaming "at large" near a home on the corner of Eighth Street and Oberlin Avenue, according to the incident report provided to Newsweek by Morris.

Palmer said that he exited his patrol vehicle to "assess the situation and protect nearby civilians who could be bitten by the dogs." He said he then ordered a woman who was out with the dogs to get them under control. He said that's when he noticed another female who appeared to be injured with a "laceration to her forearm" as she attempted to restrain two dogs.

"The dog instead charged at me," Palmer said in the report. "Due to the totality of the circumstances, I feared for my immediate safety. As the dog charged me, I drew my service pistol. At this point the dog was no more than a few feet away from me. I then discharged my service pistol several times at the dog to stop the threat. The dog then ran toward the front of my cruiser and passed due to its injuries."

Palmer described the aftermath of the shooting as a "hostile and volatile situation."

"Immediately, a near dozen people began to run at me," the officer said. "I requested assistance over the radio and advised of the situation using my radio. Numerous people began to encircle me and began yelling profanities and insults."

The Kernses described their heartbreaking account of watching a pet die during an interview with Newsweek. They said they were left "terrified" by the ordeal and are calling on the department to "remove or at least punish" the officer.

Tammie and Mellenie said when Palmer arrived at the house, they thought he was pulling over to stop traffic in case one of the dogs bolted into the street. However, Tammie said the officer got out of his vehicle and started yelling at them to get the dogs under control, which she said they were at this point. During the commotion, a spooked Dixie got loose.

"I was petrified all I thought was I was about to be shot at by a cop for catching my dogs, and my grip slipped, and Dixie got free and went to run across the street away from the cop, officer Palmer," Mellenie said. "The officer, quicker than I could blink, unholstered his gun firing it at my dog hitting her in the back end and she went to drag herself home the opposite direction of the cop as she no longer could use her back legs. He fired three more times, hitting her in her tail, her stomach and her shoulder."

The Kernses are disputing Palmer's account that Dixie "charged" at him, saying she was running away from the officer because he was yelling and scaring her. They also don't believe he had a reason to fear for his life, saying "not a single one of the dogs even barked at all until Palmer fired on Dixie and even still she whined that's it."

The family said it isn't uncommon for dogs to run loose in the neighborhood, especially around the 4th of July and New Year's Eve when fireworks spook the pooches. Mellenie said all the neighbors know and love their dogs. They don't understand why Palmer even stopped at their house and wants the officer to be punished for killing Dixie.

"He wouldn't even let us go to her and we had to stand and watch as she bled out with her intestines coming out as she suffered," Mellenie said. She said that the shooting occurred as little kids were playing nearby, saying, "The bullets that he unloaded into my dog could've missed and killed someone."

Tammie said she can't get over the heartbreak and shock of Dixie's death. She described the dog as "well-behaved" but a pup with "boundless energy" who loved to play with anyone who was willing.

"While well-behaved she was also mischievous," Tammie told Newsweek. "She taught herself how to open the refrigerator door and loved a good piece of ham or chicken."