The attorney in the lawsuit over the shooting death of a family pet in Canoga Park by an LAPD officer said during a press conference on Tuesday that the suit is about accountability.
“We filed this lawsuit because accountability has not been provided by the Los Angeles Police Department or the city of Los Angeles in any way, shape, or form,” Brett Greenfield told reporters outside the 818 Law Group building on Ventura Blvd.
Jameson, a two-year-old Bernedoodle, was fatally shot by an LAPD officer last month when officers were responding to a report of a woman screaming. Jameson’s owner, Marie Marseille, was celebrating the Knicks' championship win when the officers arrived.
Body camera footage released by the department showed the officers asking Marseille to put her dog away. When she closed the door, one of the officers was heard saying, “I ain’t getting bit by that, bro.”
When Marseille returned, the officer asked her if the dog was put away, to which she responded, “Sorry. He’s not…he’s not aggressive at all. I apologize.”
When Marseille turned away, Jameson was seen walking out and going toward the officer. The officer pulled out his gun, and Jameson started barking. The officer then fired multiple shots at the dog.
Greenfield said the footage “does not show a police officer solving a problem.”
“It raises serious questions about whether it shows a frightened man with a gun who put himself before the badge instead of relying upon training, judgment, [and] restraint in which the badge demands,” he said.
KNX News’ Karen Adams reported that Marseille was not at the press conference.
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