July 21, 2026 — He saved a woman ...

July 21, 2026 — He saved a woman from a dog attack. Then he was arrested.

Backstory: an Ithaca Voice podcast por The Ithaca Voice
T2 · E12
21 jul 2026
20:10

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When Ira McKinley went to Wegmans to drop off cans to recycle on June 13, he noticed a commotion outside. A dog was attacking an older woman, its teeth tearing into her stomach. Bystanders seemed frozen as they filmed the incident on their phones. The grocery store security guard was nowhere to be seen. McKinley, frustrated, decided to step in and help.

Eventually, the police came. But they were more interested in McKinley, not the dog or her handler. And ultimately, it was McKinley who was arrested.

How did we get from a man saving someone from an attacking dog to that same man being arrested for trespassing? And what role does community outcry play in the way that things shake out?

Access a time-stamped transcript by clicking the button with three lines on the embedded player. For a full page transcript, click here. The transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors.

Original air date: July 21, 2026

Produced and hosted by Megan Zerez.

Reported by Fernando Figueroa and Hailea Potter

Cover photo by Casey Martin

Palabras clave

Public safety
crime
police
Ithaca Voice
Backstory
race

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