Euclid officer escorts fawn out of Dollar General store

A Dollar General trespass call in Euclid turned into a wildlife removal when Officer Johnathan Hankins arrived to find a young fawn inside the store and helped escort it out safely. Euclid police said the animal had refused to leave the property before officers moved it along, and no charges were filed.

For store employees, the episode was a reminder that a routine complaint can become a safety response in seconds. In a Dollar General store, where one person may be covering the register, the phone and the aisles at the same time, a loose animal can force a fast pause for shoppers and workers alike.

Hankins was identified by the City of Euclid as a Euclid police officer in July 2024, after he was sworn in on June 14, 2024. Police said he responded on Tuesday, June 2, to the Dollar General on a trespass complaint, quickly located the young fawn and got it out without injury or further disruption.

Euclid police also shared the encounter on social media, leaning into the oddity of a deer call ending with no charges filed. Dollar General, founded in 1939, describes itself as America’s neighborhood general store, but in this case the neighborhood problem was a tiny trespasser at the front door and a police officer who had to treat it like any other incident until the store was clear.