'Justice for Gunner': Shooting of loose dog by police sparks protest in Lebanon
Around 100 people gathered in front of Lebanon City Hall on Wednesday to protest the police killing of Gunner, a year-and-a-half-old German Shepherd mix.
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Children, teens, adults and dogs stood in front of the building, sporting #JusticeforGunner T-shirts, displaying signs and chanting a myriad of phrases demanding the city do something.
Lisa Urso, who planned the Justice for Gunner protest through Facebook, said that she was concerned about how the police responded to the call of a stray dog and wanted to be a voice behind the family. Urso said that this could happen to anyone’s dog. She herself also has a German Shepherd.
On the morning of July 6, an unknown person let Gunner out of Jacklyn Shughart's backyard without her knowledge. Shortly after, someone called the police regarding a stray dog in their backyard in the area of Tiffany Lane. The three officers who responded to the call struggled to catch the dog, then succeeded in putting a catch pole around his neck, but then ultimately shot and killed Gunner.
Lebanon City Police Chief Todd Breiner was not available for comment Thursday.
In a news release two days following the incident, Breiner said that the officers shot Gunner to prevent him from escaping the catch pole in an effort to protect the public.
Wednesday's protesters met behind the city hall building and marched to the front, spreading out along the sidewalk of Cumberland Street where they chanted and shook signs. Passing cars, trucks and even a postal driver honked in support.
Diane Ford, owner of the Vetting Zoo, an animal hospital in Palmyra, was in attendance. She plans to also attend the Lebanon City Council meeting on July 25 to demand accountability and ensure something like this never happens again.
“We want to know what’s going to go on and if they’re open to training in the future,” Ford said. “We have former police officers and dog trainers that are willing to offer their services for free.”
Many of the protesters said they want to see accountability for what happened. They said they don’t want this incident swept under the rug.
Gunner's owner, Shughart, was in attendance and said that while she isn’t angry with the entire police department, she wants to see the three officers involved in her dog’s death held accountable.
Shughart also said that the outpouring of support shows how when someone in the community needs help, there are always others around to lend a hand. This is something that she said Lebanon City Police should consider when dealing with similar situations that might occur.
City officials were not seen at the event nor did they hold a press conference regarding the protest.
Mayor Sherry Capello said recently that she had witnessed the police body cam footage of the incident and that the story it shows is much different from the video that has circulated online.
“If what you’re saying is true,” Shughart said, “release the cam, show it.”
Capello could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
Many who came out to the protest said they were compelled to do so after seeing the video, which has been widely circulated online.
John Brucker, who held a sign that said “I back the blue until you harm a dog,” said that he would have believed the police version of the story had the video not come out.
This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Justice for Gunner protest held in Lebanon police shooting of dog
