LAPD Officer Fatally Shoots 2-Year-Old Dog Jameson as $188,000 Fundraiser Fuels Outrage
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jun 19
LAPD Officer Fatally Shoots 2-Year-Old Dog Jameson as $188,000 Fundraiser Fuels Outrage
3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jun 19
Summary
More than $188,000 has been raised for Jameson’s owner after an LAPD officer shot the 2-year-old Saint Bernard doodle during a Saturday response to a Canoga Park apartment complex.
Police say the dog charged an officer after the resident briefly reopened her door, but the family says Jameson was playful, not aggressive, and that the officer fired multiple shots near bystanders.
Chief Jim McDonnell and Mayor Karen Bass promised a full review as viral video of the aftermath intensified demands for body-camera footage and scrutiny of whether officers followed dog-encounter rules.
LAPD policy says officers should consider commands, pepper spray, batons, fire extinguishers or a stun gun before lethal force, while California still does not require statewide canine-encounter training.
The shooting has revived a long-running issue for Los Angeles police: a 2005 Times review found one in four LAPD shootings involved dogs, though department data show such incidents have declined since 2018.