In January 2016, Jethro, a police service dog, was killed while responding to a burglary reported by Kelonte Barefield. Officer Ryan Davis and Jethro had gone to investigate the break-in at a grocery store in Canton, Ohio, when Jethro was shot and died. Many officers showed their support for Jethro's owner by attending his funeral. Sadly, Davis was greatly distraught, as Jethro had been his partner since he was 8 weeks old. After 7 months, Kelonte Barefield was pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 45 years in jail. He pleaded guilty to a range of charges, and was given six years for each, ultimately resulting in a total sentence of 45 years.
Over 2000 letters of condolence have been sent to Eric Stanbro, head of the Canton K-9 unit, since Jethro's passing. In light of this, they are now advocating for harsher punishments for anyone found guilty of killing a police canine. Please watch the clip below and share it with your family and friends.