Pit bull attacks Lorain boy
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LORAIN — A 5-year-old Lorain boy is home and healing after a pit bull attacked him and then ran off.
Daymeon Banks had been playing with his own puppy Thursday about 3:30 p.m. in the front yard of his baby sitter’s Livingston Avenue home when a passing pit bull lunged at him.
His 11-year-old friend, Ashley Garrettson, was standing nearby and said Daymeon tried to protect his own dog when the pit bull latched onto his face.
“He kept screaming ‘Let me go! Let me go!’ ” Ashley said. “He finally punched the dog in the eye, and it ran off. Daymeon was crying and bleeding everywhere.”
The dog was gone by the time the baby sitter, Misty Stump, ran around from the backyard, where she had been during the attack.
The sight of a gaping wound near the boy’s ear, she said, was as terrifying as the thought of the attack itself.
“I just feel terrible,” she said. “But it happened so fast. One minute they were playing and the next thing I knew, Daymeon was bleeding.”
Lorain police took pictures of the wounds and noted “several large tears in his flesh and multiple puncture marks from the bite,” according to the police report.
Daymeon was taken to Community Health Partners in Lorain and later transferred to Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland where he underwent minor surgery.
His mother, Shannon Banks, said Daymeon is still in a lot of pain and will undergo more treatment next week.
“He was very scared,” she said. “But he’s handling it like a champ for a 5-year-old little boy.”
Police have been unable to locate the pit bull — a breed that has been responsible for five serious dog bites in the city this year.
Lorain City Council backed off of enacting a law last year that would’ve required owners to properly confine pit bulls in addition to limiting households to one pit bull.
Mayor Tony Krasienko said the state would have to step up and make a broader determination of its vicious dog laws if the city is to ever undertake the issue again.
“The pit bull breed has become a problem in Lorain because we have irresponsible owners,” he said. “We have to find a more effective way to make sure the dogs are taken care of.”
Contact Stephen Szucs at 329-7129 or sszucs@chroniclet.com.
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Lorain/Elyria, OH


This wiil bring out all the pit bull owners defending their vicious animals. I don’t care how your raise them, attack is always a possibility. This happened because the pit bull attacked another dog, which is a common occurence for many dogs. Remember the most important part of this story and nothing else. THIS LITTLE BOY IS SCARRED FOR LIFE! NOTHING CAN CHANGE THIS!!
The people who own these dogs will not pay fines, have no insurance, and will serve no jail time. They get these dogs as status symbols and nothing else. BAN THEM NOW!
Let the articles start flowing about your wonderful pit bull who plays with babies, wouldn’t hurt a fly, etc. BALONEY!!
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Here are to scenarios of dog owners. Tell me which one sounds more like the typical owner:
Family 1: The Johnson Household
Mr. Johnson and his wife just got home from their well paying, hard working jobs and are spending some time with their kids, both of which are studying for their SAT’s. Dinner time comes and they sit down as a family to enjoy a fine meal and each other’s company. At the foot of the table begging is their lovable pooch, a pit bull named “Killa”.
Family 2: The Johnson Household
Mr. Johnson aint gonna be home for a minute cause he up in the Grafton Correctional Facility. Moms is spending time with with her kids Shaquitta, Monikka, Fantasia, Ray Ray, Boo, LaShantee, Mimi, and little Tre. Her other kids Mooky and Javon are upstairs playing wit their 9 milly. You is on your own for dinner cause moms already had Marco’s up in here once today. They have a pit bull named “Killa”, but they be keepin him up in the basement cause he so crazy. Later on, Mooky gonna walk him with a twenty-five pound chain around his neck then he really gonna catch a chicken head up in here tonight.
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I think the little scenerio the gentleman (if thats what he would prefer to be called) was way too racist. The bottom line is if an owner of a vicious breed (whether their pet is vicious or not) should keep their pets inside the home. When they need to go out, the owner is with them and they are leashed. I dont feel that it is fair to say BAN them when it is the responsibility of the owner how much way his or her pet gets. And as for the so-called scenerio the so-called gentlemen presented, he should be ashamed and embarassed of his ignorance.
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What a coincidence that this appears in today’s Chronicle.
Yesterday in Ovelgönne, Germany a 2 yr old little girl (Georgina) was pulled over a hundred feet from her home and was literally ripped apart by 2 pitbulls. One of her feet was ripped off, an ear was torn off as well as half of her face and her skull was crushed.
What other “domesticated” animal does this type of thing in such great numbers as a pitbull?
NONE
German politicians have a novel idea in how to handle this type of crime.
Make the OWNER face charges as if they were the ones ripping the child apart and killing her.
Let a couple of thugs go to jail for 25 years for what their dog did and see how well dogs are watced then.
It’s not perfect, but I’d love to see someone REALLY pay for this type of crime for a change.
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JOHNSON FAMILY 2, but dont forget they be feeding dat pitbull raw meat and gunpowder cuz he goota be mean to protect they crack house.
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I can totally agree with that punishment….and I have a pitt bull myself. If my dog has the CHANCE to do anything to anyone…I should pay for it as it I did it myself. That is how careful I am about mine.
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I agree with Raven 100%. We are responsible for what our children do, why not make them responsible for what their animals do. It is our job to insure that our animals have their shots and everything else that goes along with owning an animal, why not make them responsible for the damage they do? On second thought, these same people probably don’t show any responsibility for what their kids do, either. Making this a race issue is rediculous and very childish. The point is, a child was hurt, AGAIN. These damn dogs are vicious, no question in my mind. I don’t care how much people defend them, it always seems to be a pit bull, why is that if they are so gentle? What type of status there is to owning a vicious dog is beyond me. I own a Basset Hound the only time he gets an attitude is if you call him late for dinner.
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Hey Jimbo,
Don’t forget that you’ve got a cross burining to attend tonight you moron.
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I would have expected more from someone like you. I mean, you have “reason” right in your title.
I find it funny that race was never specified in either of my little scenarios. Who is to really say what race family 1 and family 2 are or if they’re even of the same race
What i listed were sets of distinct behaviors shown in the two families. Which behaviors you choose to associate with any particular race is your own conclusion.
Besides, Truth and Reason, you are not funny, nor are you nearly insightful enough to make meaningful posts. So get a sense of humor, and leave ol’ jimbo alone, trust me he is quite ok with other races.
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You are insinuating race with the names you used in your “eloquent” hypothetical story. You used names that are more often asscoiated with minorities and thus you’ve painted yourself in a corner.
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I find it funny as well that Jimbo did not mention race.
I also find it funny that people can automatically assume that a specific race has license to specific names.
Tha fact that you assumed that he meant race, and attacked him in return is no better than what you are accusing him of doing.
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The mayor in Lorain is looking for “a more effective way of taking care of these dogs”? I think I can help you here Tony.
All officers and citizens should be authorized to shoot these animals on sight if they are not properly caged, chained, or otherwise restrained at all times. I will guarantee that if one of these animals is loose anywhere near me, my family or friends, that will be the solution.
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Pitt bulls are natural escape artists. That is why they need to be in the house. They eventually will break loose or dig their way out of even a fenced in yard. I have had my dog since she was 7 wks old. She will be 2 in Oct. She has never been around other dogs (since she left her litter) and she is my “shadow”. She has never left her yard except in the car to go to the vet once a year. I have no idea how she would act around other pets since she has no experieince with them so I have to keep her close. She might hurt someone’s pet or someone’s pet might hurt her. I dont want to see anything ugly happen period so that is why she is kept in the house. Owners that tie their dogs up outside and go away for hours have no idea what is going through that dog’s head when others walk past the house or whatever…..Owners just need to remember what they are housing and what it can do. My dog is friendly too, but that is in MY OPIONION. People think I’m nice and harmless too, and I am…UNTIL YOU PISS ME OFF! But seriously though, dude could have made his point without stereotyping in his story like he did, no matter what anybody else thinks or says…and if he is any form of mature….he will simply admit that…even if it is just to himself.
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Jimbo!!!
You forgot scenario number 3!!!
The Johnson family parents all out working, trying to make a living with the kids at the babysitters house. Kid Johnson outside playing with his own puppy and is attacked by the babysitters pit bull. Babysitter puts pit bull in house before police come and say “unknown” pit bull ran away. Dogged police work forces babysitter to give up perp pup.
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find it funny as well that Jimbo did not mention race.
I also find it funny that people can automatically assume that a specific race has license to specific names.
Tha fact that you assumed that he meant race, and attacked him in return is no better than what you are accusing him of doing.
——————-
Oh, give it a rest…….. How many “whites” name their kids
Shaquitta, Monikka, Fantasia, Ray Ray, Boo, LaShantee, Mimi, and little Tre? Jimbo made his point and it came out exactly the way he meant it to be. Possibly most people that own these dogs are of color, I don’t know. In fact I don’t know one person that owns a pit bull. But , be the owner white or black, what is the difference. The point is these damn animals need to be either locked up or gotten rid of, before more kids get mauled by them.
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TRUTH AND REASON - How did Jimbo paint himself into a corner? I’m going to use a race deniers tactic against you. The same type you would use if the situation was turned around. YOU are racist because YOU are saying those names are Black people names. Believe me, I’ve seen this argument many times. By using the viewpoint from a race denier, according to their circular logic, you both could be painted as racists. It’s a lose/lose situation with race deniers. The difference here is Jimbo told the truth. It’s long past when pointing a finger and hollering racism is going to shut somebody up. Reality is finally making headway and gaining ground. Also, please stop with the automatic responses of you’re a Nazi, a KKK member or, as you used, go burn a cross on a lawn. Again, names used to try to silence others when they don’t agree with you. Childish and a way to escape from honest debate.
What Jimbo wrote is too often the reality found in the Black community. Truth hurts, but there it is. It’s well known, by using simple observation, that blacks own the majority of pit bulls. I’ll tell you something else, all the Whites I’ve known who owned the devil dog were low lifes who stood at the bottom of the class scale. Are there middle class and above, Black and White, who own pit bulls? Yes, but few and far between. Where I live, I can say the majority of Mexicans/Mexican Americans own Chihuahua’s. They love those little dogs. I seriously doubt any of them would say this was racist. It’s the truth.
A pit bull can be raised in a loving home and still attack without warning. They are a vicious breed and should be outlawed.
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Chris…Chris…Chris
Come down off your high horse before you fall off and get hurt.
Google Mimi (images) …beware, some of the pics at first are just a bit racy, but you have to look at 45 different WHITE girls pics before you get to the first black Mimi…and then you have to go several more pages to you get to the second…
Google Fantasia, and you come up with 46 pages of pics from the girl on American idol with a couple of black and white girls in between.
Google LaShantee…this is funny…and you get only 3 white avatar pics (I guess they all have pitbulls).
Ray Ray is about 70% black…
Monikka, however is 90% white
You got me on Shaquitta though…couldn’t find a single white girl…funny though I found lots of male ball players associated with that name…
Little Tre is a startling surprise though, with about 75% white and only 25% black…
You get my drift?
OR…….some people don’t use cameras or post pics on the internet. (was that racist?)
For someone to so blatantly call him a racist because of what he said is according to my research not only wrong… but racist in itself. To call someone a moron for his opinion only is…in my opinion no better.
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Get off the race card…for those who ASSUME (which we all know what assuming does) that people are singling out different races, why don’t you try looking @ the SCENARIO’S rather than the names/language used…There are 2 households… For those of us living in reality, both of those households exist…I’d hate to see what Lorain County’s % is on that…But it’s white, black, hispanic, asian, blue, purple, green, & yellow…take your pick…I see on the daily the trash we have in our city…and that’s ALL of the different races…
In regards to the comment: “Oh, give it a rest…….. How many “whites†name their kids Shaquitta, Monikka, Fantasia, Ray Ray, Boo, LaShantee, Mimi, and little Tre?”
You’d be QUITE surprised…Names don’t have “color” now a days…The new popular name seems to be Neveah…can you figure that one out?? What “color” is that?? For those who didn’t catch it, it’s Heaven backwards…very pretty name…but what “color” is it?? Chris, please tell us since you seem to be aware of what names go with what color? Don’t forget, we live in Lorain/Elyria, there is white trash, black trash, hispanic trash, you name it, we’ve got it…It isn’t Jimbo’s fault that some people ASS-UME that he’s being racist, when in all actuality, he’s just “keepin’ it real…”
Quit using the doggone race card people…bad things happen, black or white, it is what it is…
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Since we are talking about names….both families did name the dog “Killa” so if one uses names to assume one’s race I would have to assume that both families are black.
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Geez o peets, assuming they are both black because the dog is named “Killa….” You need to take a walk around Lorain…all of it…”black” & “white” neighborhoods…if you think the only people who would name their dog “Killa” are black, stay in the cubby hole you’re living in…People need to quit assuming…it is 2008 after all…eventhough many people want to keep race an issue, it really isn’t anymore…the issue is the people holding onto it being an issue…
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Boy is attacked… and now it crack houses, cross burnings, etc…because of the type of dog? Get back to the story….
Owning any dog is a responsibility, and you have to be the pack LEAD if not… stuff like this happens…. dogs have pack social order… if you NOT THE LEADER of the breed, you need to get a dog you can
Besides anyone with a brain know that dogs are pack animals. They are like children, they have to be trained. But Dogs know how to poop outside a lot sooner, if trained, kids you have to wait years…..
with the Racial stuff…. GROW UP!… wait this is the Mayor Graces fault too….right?
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“The pit bull breed has become a problem in Lorain because we have irresponsible owners” - Mayor Tony Krasienko
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Jimbo didn’t have to mention race, he implied it.
Why did Jimbo typed the second Johnson family with the name of children, but none in the first scenario?
Why did he typed the second as though he a bad rapper, using language you have to go out of your way to use and type?
Jimbo didn’t have to mentioned race…..if he did it would have been deleted……
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Actually, depending on what register of the language one hears, learns, & uses at home, it is easier for some to write like that. Have you ever read a paper by a student who talks like that? I have many times by many different kids and most don’t write any different because it “sounds” right to them. In fact, when you try to show them the right way, they don’t “get it.” That’s why so many are not doing well in school or on these proficiency type tests.
Q1. Which sentence is correct.
a. He did good.
b. He did well.
Either one sounds right to a child used to speaking like that and actually “good” sounds best because that’s how they’d say it and hear it 9 times out of 10 in their environment.
As for jimbo’s comment, sounds like the same one’s who felt he was racist regarding the 2nd family also assumed the 1st was white. I wonder why. Are you saying only whites have good-paying jobs with kids studying for SATs and sitting down together to eat? Are you saying it out of racism or the reality of what you know? If he gave the first kids names like Steven and Beth would you have assumed they were white? Sounds like many made these assumptions and that’s racist too, if what jimbo wrote can even be considered that if it’s the reality most people on here seem to already be aware of. Jimbo, it must only be racist if you say it, not just think it.
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Justanothermom…. never assumed the first family was white, or black or whatever… no information was implied to any race, creed, color, or orientation was given.
The only information was their last name and the kids etc…. and their stupid dogs name of “Killa”.
Whatever, the color of the family… still a stupid dogs name….
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If he was describing 2 black families where would the racism be? He’d be describing 2 different scenarios in black households and asking which is more likely to own a pit bull which would speak to class not race.
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How did this go from pit bulls to language skills?
But since you brought it up, justanothermom, let’s AKS why “talking white” is unacceptable. When did grammar and spelling get lost as school subjects? When did writing a simple sentence become impossible for some? Was it the computer that has “spell check” so you have everything corrected for you? But even then you are given a choice - how do you know which spelling is correct if you’ve never learned it?
How can someone graduate from high school being unable to read, write or do ‘rithmatic? I think that was all lost about 20 years ago.
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It went from pit bulls to language because I was defending jimbo regarding others’ comments and language was one of the comments. Spell check has nothing to do with it. How kids learn to talk at home does. Grammar & spelling are still school subjects. What do you do if you are a teacher and you have 1/2 the class that talks & writes “proper” English and 1/2 that doesn’t? You have to start from scratch-teaching kids that don’t that there are 2 ways to talk and write and one is for home and one is for school and jobs, etc-that’s the one that will get you somewhere in life-unless of course you do want to be a rapper. How much time does it take to undo all the slang and improper speech? Do the teachers have that time and if so, what do the rest of the kids do in the meantime?
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Ok, then it comes down to teaching and discipline in school. There are many families that don’t speak English at home, proper or otherwise, but the kids still speak English in school. English is their second language, but they manage to learn it. If kids were EXPECTED to speak proper English starting in kindergarten and anything else was unacceptable, then it would be the norm.
Allowing anthing else but “proper” English is a lazy way to teach.
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pssst…Jimbo…
You see what you started…lol
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Jimbo, please see my comment in the “Man charged with kidnapping, felonious assault” article. I think you were thinking of the Jackson family, not the Johnson’s…
ps. everybody may not like it but I was laughing til i cried so hard i couldn’t see the screen when i read your comment here. possibly the best laugh i’ve had all year.
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allmoney1996,
You seemed to have missed my point so let me try and help you a little.
There was no mention of the dogs name and everyone assumed that family 2 was black because of the names of the family members without taking into account that family 1 could very well be a black family. So based on what SOME people have posted here, I just wanted to point that out cuz day wuz no mentzin of da pit bullz name ana, ana, ana evabody sez dat stuff bout da names, know what I’m saying?
Jimbo,
I got a good laugh too, it’s funny but true.
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Jimbo,
It was good….lol really good
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