Ain't getting bit by that: US police release footage of officer shooting pet dog

A Los Angeles Police officer shot dead a dog, Jameson, during a welfare check captured on body-camera footage. The killing has sparked outrage and scrutiny over the police force, dog encounter policy and the edited video release.

In Short

• LA police released edited bodycam footage of June 13 dog shooting incident
• Officers responded to wellness check after neighbour reported woman screaming
• Dog Jameson charged at officer, who fired four shots, killing the pet.

The Los Angeles Police Department released edited body-camera footage of the June 13 dog shooting incident, in which officers responded to reports of a woman screaming inside an apartment.

A police officer shot and killed a woman’s pet dog during a welfare check in Los Angeles, prompting international outrage and renewed scrutiny of police use of force.

According to the LAPD, officers were dispatched after a neighbour called 911, reporting that a woman had been repeatedly shouting “Oh my God” for approximately 20 minutes. The caller requested a wellness check, fearing that “something really bad happened.”

The woman was later identified as Marie Marseille. Authorities subsequently determined that she had been celebrating the New York Knicks winning the NBA championship.

The body-camera footage released by the LAPD combines recordings from both responding officers. It shows officers approaching Marseille’s apartment and knocking on the door while identifying themselves as police officers. When Marseille partially opened the door, her two-year-old golden Saint Berdoodle, Jameson, appeared in the doorway barking.

The officers immediately instructed Marseille to secure the dog. One officer drew his handgun while standing outside the apartment. As Marseille apologised, the officers repeatedly asked her to put the dog away. She then closed the door and brought the dog back inside.

While waiting outside, one officer commented on the animal’s size, saying, “That’s a big-** dog.” The other officer replied, “I ain’t getting bit by that, bro,” before reholstering his weapon.

Moments later, Marseille reopened the door. The officers asked whether the dog had been secured. Marseille responded that the dog was “not aggressive” and apologised again. One officer remarked that the dog was “huge.”

The footage then shows Jameson emerging from the apartment once more. Wearing a blue Knicks jersey, the dog barked as he moved into the hallway. Officers again instructed Marseille to put the dog inside.

According to the LAPD’s account, the dog ran out of the apartment, barked, and charged toward one of the officers. The officer drew his handgun and, while moving backward, fired four shots. The dog collapsed to the floor. Marseille screamed “No!” as the shooting unfolded. The entire incident occurred less than a minute after officers first knocked on the door.

The LAPD said the dog was struck by gunfire in the shoulder. The deceased animal was described as a large male mixed breed weighing 106.2 pounds, measuring 33 inches in height and 43 inches in length. The Los Angeles Department of Animal Services responded to the scene and took custody of the dog’s remains.

Video of Marseille crying and embracing Jameson’s body circulated widely on social media following the shooting, intensifying public criticism of the officers’ actions.

The department’s critical incident community briefing was presented by Captain Mike Bland, commanding officer of the Media Relations Division. In the video, Bland said the investigation remains in its early stages and could take up to a year to complete.

“The LAPD conducts very thorough use-of-force investigations,” Bland said, adding that investigators will continue interviewing witnesses, reviewing video evidence, and conducting forensic examinations as necessary.

Once the investigation concludes, the department’s Critical Incident Review Division will forward its findings to Police Chief Jim McDonnell, who will make recommendations to the civilian Board of Police Commissioners. The board will then determine whether the officer’s tactics, display of a weapon, and use of deadly force complied with department standards. The Office of the Inspector General will also conduct an independent review.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described the footage as “disturbing and tragic.” In a statement, Bass said she was concerned about why lethal force was used and why Jameson was killed.

Bass said she had directed Police Chief Jim McDonnell and the president of the Board of Police Commissioners to review the department’s policies governing encounters with dogs and update training and procedures related to the use of lethal force.

The shooting has also drawn attention to an LAPD policy issued in 2023 that outlines alternatives officers can use during hostile dog encounters. The policy lists seven options before resorting to gunfire: voice commands, chemical spray, a baton, a fire extinguisher, a Taser, a beanbag shotgun, and kicking.

Questions have also emerged regarding the department’s handling of the video release. NBC4 reporter Eric Leonard noted that the LAPD released the footage more quickly than is typical for officer-involved shootings. However, he pointed out that the department did not release raw footage and instead provided an edited version with officers’ faces blurred.

Leonard said he could not recall another instance in which officers’ faces were blurred in body-camera footage released by the LAPD.

The department emphasised that the video represents only the evidence currently available and that no conclusions have been reached regarding whether the officers acted within department policy or the law. The investigation remains ongoing.

- Ends