A family dog in Los Angeles was shot dead by police after a neighbour mistook its owner’s excited basketball cheers for screams of distress.
Jameson, a two-year-old mix of golden retriever, St Bernard and poodle, was killed by LAPD officers outside his home.
Video footage captured the dog lying motionless on the ground, dressed in a New York Knicks jersey, as his devastated owner wept over him.
“Oh my God! Oh my God, I cannot believe this is happening. I cannot believe this is happening,” Marie Marsielle, Jameson’s owner, shouted at officers through her tears.
“We were just so happy. We were celebrating the Knicks. We were f***ing celebrating the Knicks,” she continued.
Marie and her family were watching the NBA championship match on Saturday evening when a neighbour heard what sounded like screaming.
She had been on a FaceTime call with her son Jeremiah Garcia at approximately 8pm, while he was in his girlfriend’s flat downstairs.
“I spring up the stairs and I see yellow tape on the stairwell. And I see my dog. Then I see my mom in my home just screaming at the top of her lungs,” he told NBCLA.
Video footage captured the dog lying motionless on the ground, dressed in a New York Knicks jersey, as his devastated owner wept over him
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“I tried to console her, I tried to. It was just so horrible.”
A total of 14 officers arrived at the scene and requested that Marie secure the dog.
Marie later disputed the police account of events, insisting her pet posed no threat.
“Jameson wasn’t baring his teeth, he wasn’t growling, he wasn’t aggressive, he wasn’t barking,” she said.
“He was just moving toward the officer,” she told Fox 11.
‘I cannot believe this is happening,’ Marie Marsielle, Jameson’s owner, shouted at officers through her tears
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The LAPD offered a different version of events in an official statement.
“The resident closed her door momentarily. She re-opened the door, and the dog exited the apartment,” the department said.
“Once outside of the apartment, the dog charged at one of the officers, resulting in an Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS),” they added.
The Force Investigation Department has opened an inquiry into the shooting.
An online campaign called Justice for Jameson has now been set up, with a memorial growing outside the family’s home.
Marie had been celebrating her beloved Knicks’ NBA title when tragedy struck
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Jeremiah created a fundraiser to honour his pet’s memory.
“Anyone who’s met Jameson would tell you he is the sweetest boy in the world,” he wrote.
“Please help us raise money to get Justice for Jameson and any cremation fees.”
The campaign, which initially sought $10,000, has smashed past more than $124,000 in donations.
The neighbour who contacted police said he felt guilty about the dog’s death, though his concern at the time was genuine.
