Mayor Karen Bass called the LAPD dog shooting that killed Jameson during a New York Knicks championship celebration “disturbing and tragic,” after confirming she and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell agreed to release the bodycam footage.
Mayor Karen Bass didn’t wait for the controversy to play out in fragments. On Friday, she condemned the LAPD shooting that killed a dog during a Los Angeles celebration of the New York Knicks’ championship, calling it “disturbing and tragic.”
In a statement posted to X. Bass said she and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell agreed to release the bodycam footage “swiftly. ” even as the investigation remains ongoing. “What I saw on the bodycam footage is disturbing and tragic,” the mayor wrote. “The Chief and I agreed that it was important to release the bodycam footage swiftly. While the investigation is ongoing, I am very concerned about why shots were fired and Jameson [the dog] was killed.”.
Bass went further than condemnation. She said the incident shows that written guidance on the use of force and pets is not enough. She directed the Police Commission President and the Chief to examine the Department’s Use of Force policy on Dog Encounters and determine best practices from around the country. The goal. Bass said. is to update LAPD’s tactics. policies. and training related to use of lethal force to increase safety for officers. Angelenos. and pets.
The decision to release the footage came days after the fatal shooting of golden retriever-poodle mix Jameson went viral earlier in the week. The video shows moments before Jameson was shot by the officer—capturing the dog barking and the responding officers as they demanded the animal be restrained. The call, according to the video, began as a welfare check after screaming was heard from a Canoga Park-based apartment.
Jameson’s owner, identified as Marie Marseille, was celebrating the Knicks’ NBA championship win, and she was reportedly yelling. After Jameson escaped from the apartment, an officer who had previously voiced concern about being bitten fired multiple shots at the pet.
Marseille and her family. speaking through a statement released to ABC7 via their attorney. called the shooting “completely unnecessary and profoundly dangerous.” The statement said Marseille was alone in her apartment. answered the door. was cooperative. and tried to reassure officers repeatedly that Jameson was her dog and that he was not dangerous.
The statement also alleged that the officer’s approach showed a level of aggression from the beginning of the encounter. It claimed the officer appeared to have his firearm drawn “virtually from the beginning. ” including while Jameson was still inside the apartment. after Marie closed the door. and when the door reopened. It further asserted that throughout the encounter. the officer repeatedly used profanity. focused on the dog’s size. and displayed an aggressive attitude during what was supposed to be a welfare check.
The family said the video raises a question about timing and escalation—whether deadly force was already being used as the default before the situation could be objectively assessed. de-escalated. or alternatives considered. “The video raises a disturbing question: whether the decision to use deadly force had already been made before any meaningful effort was undertaken to objectively assess the situation. de-escalate the encounter. create distance. or consider alternatives. ” the statement continued. “What followed was completely unnecessary and profoundly dangerous.”.
It also argued that viewers can decide for themselves. The statement said the footage appears to show Jameson as a domesticated family dog wearing a New York Knicks jersey inside his own home and that the dog was not presenting an immediate threat that would justify rapid escalation.
The family’s concern extended beyond Jameson’s death. They said a welfare check could’ve become “a human fatality” because Marseille was close to Jameson when he was shot.
“A welfare check ended with him dead. his owner traumatized. and serious questions about the judgment and conduct of the officer who pulled the trigger. ” the statement concluded. “The badge represents a duty to serve and protect. What the public sees in this video is not protection. It is escalation. It is recklessness. And it is a tragedy that never should have happened.”.
Censored footage of the incident can be found here.
Karen Bass LAPD bodycam footage Jameson dog shooting New York Knicks championship Marie Marseille Canoga Park welfare check LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell use of force policy dog encounters
So they’re releasing bodycam now… late but ok.
Disturbing and tragic, sure, but why did the officer even shoot like that? Dogs bark sometimes, people. Seems like they jumped straight to lethal instead of waiting.
I don’t get it, they said it was a welfare check after screaming, so like… was the dog the problem or was someone in danger? Also Karen Bass is acting like policy changes will fix it overnight, cmon.
Release the footage “swiftly” but meanwhile the dog is already dead. LAPD should be under a microscope for shooting pets, like this is always the same story. They’re talking about use-of-force guidance for dog encounters, but half the time the officer doesn’t even follow the guidance anyway. Canoga Park too like… I’m not saying I know what happened but that welfare check thing sounds kinda shaky, like maybe there wasn’t even a real threat.