CANOGA PARK (CNS) – Mayor Karen Bass vowed Wednesday that a full investigation would be conducted into the fatal shooting of a dog by Los Angeles police who responded to a report of a woman screaming — which turned out to be a Canoga Park resident celebrating the New York Knicks’ NBA championship.
The shooting occurred shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday in the 7000 block of Jordan Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The dog, a 2-year-old golden retriever-Saint Bernard and poodle mix named Jameson, who was wearing a Knicks shirt, bolted through the door and was shot by a responding officer.
A neighbor reported hearing two shots.
Video from the scene showed the dog’s owner sobbing in grief and anger as she kneeled over her dying pet. She could be heard saying, “He’s such a good dog!”
“Every life lost to violence is a tragedy, and we know that the devastating loss of Jameson will be felt by his family forever,” Bass wrote on social media Wednesday. “I have spoken directly to the chief to ensure a full investigation and accountability for any wrongdoing.
“I will make sure that the investigation is thorough and transparent so that Angelenos have a complete understanding of what happened to Jameson and this family.”
On Tuesday, activists held a news conference outside LAPD headquarters to demand accountability in the case,
“The tragic killing of Jameson was unnecessary and unwarranted,” Najee Ali, senior organizer of the Los Angeles National Action Network, said in a prepared statement issued prior to the news conference.
“We stand with (dog owner) Marie Marcel and all those seeking justice for Jameson,” Ali said. “No family should have to experience this type of tragedy without a full and transparent investigation.”
The chain of events began when a neighbor heard a woman screaming inside the apartment, according to the LAPD.
The person who made the report directed officers to the apartment, and when they got to the door, “a large dog was by her side barking at the officers,” according to an LAPD statement.
“The officers asked her to secure the dog, and the resident closed her door momentarily,” according to the LAPD. “She re-opened the door, and the dog exited the apartment. Once outside of the apartment, the dog charged at one of the officers, resulting in an officer-involved shooting.”
According to a GoFundMe page that had raised nearly $165,000 as of Wednesday morning, Marcel was screaming with joy at the Knicks’ title-clinching victory in Game 5 of the championship series against the San Antonio Spurs.
“If officers had sufficient time to draw and fire a weapon, they had sufficient time to consider less-lethal alternatives, including the use of a Taser,” Western Regional Director of the National Action Networks Jonathan Moseley said. “This incident raises broader concerns about LAPD’s continued use of deadly force in questionable circumstances. The public deserves answers and meaningful reforms.”
Police said the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services was notified and “responded to the scene and took custody of the deceased dog. The dog owner was at (the) scene and cooperated with the investigation.”
An LAPD spokesman said Tuesday that the officer involved in the shooting was taken out of the field for a few days, as is standard in such shooting cases, but he had no additional details about the officer’s status or identity.
The National Action Network is also calling for a meeting with LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell regarding the circumstances surrounding Jameson’s death and the department’s use-of-force policies.
The LAPD’s Force Investigation Division is investigating the shooting.
Click here for more info on the GoFundMe campaign.
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