The Los Angeles Police Department has released body-camera footage showing the moments before an officer fatally shot a woman’s dog outside her apartment in Canoga Park, renewing public scrutiny over the incident and the department’s use of force.
The shooting happened on June 13 after officers responded to a report of a woman screaming inside an apartment building. The call turned out to involve a celebration after the New York Knicks won the NBA Finals. The dog, a two-year-old golden Saint Bernard doodle named Jameson, was wearing a blue Knicks jersey at the time.
The newly released footage shows Marie Marseille opening her apartment door as Jameson runs toward the entrance and barks at the officers. One officer can be heard telling her to put the dog away. The video then shows the dog near the doorway and later stepping into the hallway.
According to the footage, one officer had already drawn his firearm before the fatal shots were fired. Marseille can be heard telling officers that the dog was not aggressive. Moments later, after Jameson walks into the hallway and barks again, an officer fires multiple shots.
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The footage has intensified questions about whether the shooting was necessary and whether officers had other options. Supporters of a full investigation say the video raises concerns about how quickly the encounter escalated. Police have said the incident is under review.
A video taken after the shooting, showing Marseille crying and holding Jameson’s body, had already gone viral before the department released the body-camera footage. The images prompted widespread anger from animal-rights advocates, local residents and people online who questioned why a pet dog was shot during a response to a mistaken emergency call.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said earlier that she had spoken with LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell to ensure the incident would be investigated. Local activists and community leaders had also called for transparency, including the release of the body-camera video and more information about the officers involved.
The LAPD released the video faster than it often releases body-camera footage in major incidents. However, the version made public was edited, and the officers’ faces were blurred. That decision has also drawn attention, with some local reporters noting that such blurring is unusual in LAPD body-camera releases.
Police initially responded to the apartment after a report of a screaming woman. According to accounts from Marseille and local reporting, the sound was cheering connected to the Knicks’ championship win, not a call involving violence or injury.
The case has become part of a wider debate over police training, animal encounters and the use of firearms in residential settings. Dogs can create unpredictable situations for officers, but critics argue that departments should have clearer policies and better de-escalation tools when responding to homes with pets.
For Marseille, the public debate is also deeply personal. Jameson was a family pet, and the viral aftermath of the shooting has turned a private loss into a citywide controversy.
The investigation will now focus on whether the officer’s actions followed department policy and whether the encounter could have been handled differently. Until that review is complete, LAPD faces continued pressure to explain the decision to shoot and the way the footage was released.
Why It Matters
The release of the body-camera footage matters because it gives the public a clearer view of the seconds before Jameson was killed. The incident has raised questions about police judgment, pet encounters, transparency and whether officers escalated too quickly during a call that turned out to be a misunderstanding.
What Comes Next
LAPD officials are expected to continue reviewing the shooting through the department’s use-of-force process. Local leaders and activists may also push for more transparency, including unedited footage, officer identification and possible changes to how police respond to calls involving pets.
Watch:
Bodycam footage shows the LAPD shooting of Jameson, the dog killed outside a Canoga Park apartment.
A dog was fatally shot by the Los Angeles Police Department after they responded to an apartment building in Canoga Park, California, where they were called for reports of a “screaming woman” in an apartment unit. Family members say she was celebrating the New York Knicks’ NBA… pic.twitter.com/M6xjNf6ISP
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 20, 2026
