Police said the dog chased an officer after neighbors called 911 about a screaming woman.
LOS ANGELES, LA — Los Angeles police fatally shot a family dog Saturday night outside a Canoga Park condominium complex after officers responded to a 911 call about a screaming woman, turning a New York Knicks title celebration into a police shooting under review.
The shooting killed Jamison, a 2-year-old golden retriever, Saint Bernard and poodle mix, outside the Jordan Condominiums on Jordan Avenue. LAPD said officers were checking on a possible emergency when the dog rushed or chased after an officer. The dog’s owner, Marie Marseille, said Jamison was not acting aggressively and had slipped outside as she tried to put him away.
Officers were sent to the complex Saturday night after a neighbor reported hearing a woman screaming and feared someone might be in danger. Local reports placed the call shortly after 8 p.m. or around 9 p.m. at the condominium property on Jordan Avenue. When officers arrived, Marseille said she was alone inside and watching the New York Knicks win their first NBA championship in 53 years. Marseille, a nurse originally from New York, had dressed Jamison in a Knicks jersey for the celebration. “I’m like, ‘Oh no, it’s just me,’” Marseille said. She said an officer then told her to put the dog away, and she agreed.
Marseille said she tried to comply, but Jamison slipped outside and moved toward an officer. LAPD said the woman did not control the dog before it chased after the officer, prompting the shooting. Marseille gave a different account, saying Jamison was not baring his teeth, growling, barking or showing aggression before he was shot. Cellphone video from the complex showed the emotional aftermath, with Marseille crying over the dog. “He’s my baby,” she said through tears. Video of the scene spread widely online and drew anger from neighbors who said they knew Jamison from the complex.
The call began as a welfare check after a neighbor heard loud screaming from inside the building. A neighbor who called 911 later told a local reporter they felt guilty but sincerely believed Marseille might have been in trouble. Another resident, Raymon Alvarez, said he heard screams while leaving for a walk and later heard gunfire after returning home. “I didn’t think they were gunshots at first because this area is not really known for any sort of gun violence,” Alvarez said. No injury to an officer or resident had been reported in the first public accounts of the shooting.
The incident unfolded in Canoga Park, a San Fernando Valley neighborhood where police had recently handled another major shooting. One week earlier, LAPD investigated a separate apparent murder-suicide in the area that left two children and their father dead. The dog shooting was not connected to that case, but the timing added to concern among residents already shaken by recent police activity. At the Jordan Avenue complex, neighbors gathered in the hallway after Jamison was killed. A small memorial began growing where residents said they watched the dog die.
The police department said the circumstances leading to the shooting are under review. LAPD had said more details would be released Monday, but the early accounts did not say whether body-camera footage had been reviewed, whether the officer had been placed on administrative leave or whether any internal findings had been made. No criminal charges had been announced. The main dispute remained whether Jamison posed a threat when he moved toward the officer, with police describing the dog as chasing or rushing officers and Marseille describing him as friendly and nonviolent.
Marseille’s family said the night began as a happy one. A photo taken before the shooting showed Jamison wearing a Knicks shirt as the family celebrated the team’s championship. Marseille’s son told a local station off camera that his mother had simply been cheering the game and that Jamison was energetic but not violent. In video from the scene, Marseille can be heard crying that the family had been celebrating the Knicks. Another neighbor, reacting to the police presence after the shooting, questioned why the response ended with the dog dead.
The case remained under LAPD review Monday, June 15, with the department expected to provide more information about the shooting and the officer’s account of the encounter.
Author note: Last updated June 15, 2026.