Community wants cop fired after he shot golden retriever in front of family – Law Officer

Lorain, Ohio – A town in Ohio is outraged and calling for the termination of a police officer after he fatally shot a loose golden retriever in front of the pup’s horrified family.

Lorain Officer Elliott Palmer shot and killed Dixie, a 3 year old Golden Retriever after she approached him on Sunday.

Palmer has since been placed on leave, WKYC reported Friday.

The incident is “under investigation,” the department told The New York Post Friday afternoon without offering further details.

A “Justice for Dixie” rally was held outside the department before it was known that Palmer was placed on leave.

Lt. Jacob Morris offered condolences to Dixie’s family during the rally.

“Regardless of the situation, they’re dealing with the loss of a family member,” he said. “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.

Palmer was patrolling the area Sunday when he noticed several large dogs running around and told the owner, Tammie Kern, to get them under control, WKYC previously reported.

While Kern’s daughter was attempting to round up the four dogs, Dixie got away and playfully ran toward Palmer, who shot her several times.

The shocking incident was caught on the officer’s bodycam.

Footage shows Palmer standing in the street outside Kern’s Oberlin Avenue home as a different golden retriever playfully runs up to him. The officer sticks his hand out to wave the animal away.

Moments later, Dixie followed suit, appearing to calmly run up to Palmer before he raised his gun and shot her.

“You stupid, f–k, you killed my dog,” Kern could be heard telling the officer. “Why did you do it?”

“Get back, OK. Your dog charged me, get back,” an annoyed-sounding Palmer ordered.

“That dog was harmless!” Kern screamed as she stood next to where Dixie lay dying.

Kern told WKYC that after the initial shot was fired, Palmer “should have just let it go and let us get the dog and take her where she needed to be treated.”

”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.”

Kern said Palmer 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,” she said.

Kern and her family plan on filing a lawsuit against the police department, WKYC reported.