- Los Angeles police have released bodycam footage of an officer shooting a dog during a "wellness check" call
- The call was about a woman "screaming" inside her apartment. The officers then contacted her
- As they were speaking, her dog charged at an officer, who then fired four shots, killing him
Newly released video from a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer's body camera shows the moment he shot a pet dog dead while responding to a 911 call of a "screaming woman" at an apartment. The incident occurred on June 13, when the police department received a call from a woman who said that her neighbour had been "screaming 'Oh my God' for 20 minutes".
"It's like something really bad happened. I was wondering if someone could do a wellness check on them," she asked.
Two officers were then dispatched to her address, and she showed them the "screaming" woman's apartment.
The officers then contacted the woman, now identified as Marie Marseille, who was reportedly celebrating the New York Knicks' first NBA championship trophy in 53 years with her dog.
As the officers started speaking to Marseille, her dog, reportedly a 2-year-old Golden Retriever-Saint Bernard-Poodle mix, started barking at them.
In body cam footage released by the police on June 20, the officers can then be heard asking her to secure the dog, who was dressed in a Knicks jersey.
She apologises and grabs the dog, Jameson, and shuts the door.
"F**k," one of the officers who was later seen shooting at the dog says.
"I ain't getting bit by that, bro," he adds.
"That's a big a** dog," the other officer says.
(Viewer discretion is advised.)
Moments later, the woman reopens the door. As she stood at the doorway, the officers ask her if the dog was "put away".
"He's not aggressive," she responds.
As they were speaking, the dog, who the police said weighed 106.2 pounds (about 48 kg) and measured 33 inches in height and 43 inches in length, re-emerges and begins to bark once again. He then runs out of the apartment and charges at one of the officers. The officer tries to run in the lobby before firing at least four rounds at the dog.
"No, no, nooooo," the woman was heard shouting in disbelief.
She later told a news outlet that she was not "screaming" but shouting with joy.
"Incredibly Tragic"
After facing massive backlash online, the LAPD issued a statement on June 18 and called the shooting "incredibly tragic".
"The loss of a pet is deeply personal. For many, a dog is not simply an animal; it is a companion, a source of comfort, and a member of the family," LAPD chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) June 18, 2026
"There is no incident more serious than when an officer fires a service weapon," he added.
McDonnell said that the LAPD officers face "unknown dangers on a daily basis, but he expected them to exercise sound judgment, restraint, and respect for life whenever possible".
"That expectation is reflected in our training, policies, and specific guidance on encounters with dogs. All those factors will be carefully reviewed as part of this investigation," he added.
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