A Southern California family is demanding answers after the Los Angeles Police Department refused to identify the officer who fatally shot their beloved dog, saying the cop’s name will remain under wraps because of alleged threats against the officer.
LAPD Capt. Mike Bland said the identity of the officer involved in the fatal shooting of Jameson — a 2-year-old Saint Berdoodle killed at a Canoga Park condominium complex — will not be released, according to the Los Angeles Times.
California law states that agencies must reveal the name of officers involved in on-duty shootings investigations, unless credible threats exist, which LAPD said is the case here.
Last month, bodycam footage was released showing the tense confrontation inside the complex just moments after the dog’s owner Marie Marseille and her family were marking the New York Knicks’ championship victory.
The shooting unfolded in the evening hours of June 13 when LAPD officers responded to the complex after a neighbor reported hearing a woman screaming.
After the footage surfaced, critics accused the officer of using unnecessary force and demanded answers about why Jameson was shot. Police released the video after mounting public backlash and growing scrutiny over whether the shooting was justified.
The footage shows two responding officers arriving at the home as Jameson — who had been celebrating with the family moments earlier — approaches them. The officer who fired the fatal shot appears in the video with his face blurred and identity concealed.
The officers asked Marseille to secure the dog repeatedly but after a moment the dog rushed out of the unit and at one of the officers standing in the outdoor hallway outside the apartment.
The officer being rushed by the dog drew his weapon and fired four shots, killing the animal.
The LAPD video shows two angles of the shooting.
Marseille’s attorney, Brett Greenfield, asked why LAPD’s wasn’t releasing the officer’s name and said there needs to be not just transparency, but accountability for the officer.
“Transparency without accountability is meaningless,” Greenfield told the outlet.
“The police body-worn cameras speak for themselves. The people of Los Angeles can watch it, and they can reach their own conclusions. What they will see is deeply troubling.”
The dog’s family has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city.
“The body-worn camera does not show a police officer solving a problem,” Greenfield said during a press conference.
“It raises serious questions about whether it shows a frightened man, or the gun who put himself before the badge instead of relying upon training, judgment, and restraint, in which the badge demands.”
The family is seeking damages for the use of undue force.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
