The Los Angeles Police Department has released body-camera footage showing the moment an officer shot and killed a woman's dog in the hallway outside her apartment in the Canoga Park neighborhood. The incident occurred on June 13 after police responded to reports of a woman screaming, which turned out to be cheering for the New York Knicks' victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA finals.
Footage Shows Encounter with Dog
The video shows Marie Marseille opening her door for officers. Her two-year-old golden Saint Bernard doodle, named Jameson, runs to the door and barks at the officers, whose faces are blurred in the footage. One officer immediately draws his gun, aiming it toward the ground before lifting it toward the doorway. “Put your dog away!” an officer shouts. “That’s a big-ass dog,” the officer wearing the camera says. “I ain’t getting bit by that, bro,” says the officer holding his pistol.
Marseille returns to the door and appears to hold it to keep the dog inside but does not shut it entirely. She tells the officers the dog is not aggressive. Jameson, wearing a blue Knicks jersey, walks into the hallway and barks again, pauses, then steps forward and barks. The officer with the drawn pistol fires four times. Both Marseille and the other officer are standing behind the dog.
Officer's Use of Multiple Weapons
Images from the body-worn camera show the officer who shot the dog appears to carry two guns. During the initial interaction, his right hand hovers over what seems to be his service pistol. After Marseille puts her dog away, he uses his other hand to unholster a separate pistol, which he holds in his left hand through the rest of the encounter. The other officer also appears to raise a pistol when his partner shoots.
Viral Video and Investigation
A video of Marseille sobbing and hugging Jameson's body went viral. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she spoke with Police Chief Jim McDonnell to ensure an investigation into the use of force against the dog. NBC4 reporter Eric Leonard noted that LAPD released the video faster than normal but did not provide raw footage; instead, it was edited with officers' faces blurred, which is unusual. “We’ve been looking at these body-worn videos for years. I don’t remember another instance where officers’ faces were blurred ever before,” Leonard said.
The shooting has sparked public outcry and questions about police use of force against pets. The department is conducting an internal investigation into the incident.
