LAPD dog shooting sparks outrage after welfare check in Canoga Park

LAPD body-camera footage deepened scrutiny over why officers shot and killed a family dog during what began as a welfare check at a Canoga Park condo building on Jordan Avenue. The video showed officers telling the owner to secure Jameson before shots were fired, but it did not settle the central accountability question: whether the dog posed such an immediate threat that lethal force was justified.

The shooting happened just after 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, 2026, after officers responded to reports of screaming in the building. Police later said the call was treated as a welfare check, and the noise turned out to be tied to a New York Knicks celebration rather than an assault or domestic dispute. Jameson, a 2-year-old golden retriever-Saint Bernard-poodle mix, was described by LAPD as weighing 106 pounds and was wearing a Knicks shirt when he was shot.

LAPD released edited footage on Friday, June 19, showing the moments before the killing, including officers shouting at the owner to restrain the dog and the first shot fired. The department said it released the video after internal review and provided context because video alone may not tell the full story. LAPD said Jameson charged after the woman reopened the door. Marie Marseille told NBC Los Angeles she saw the officer shoot Jameson twice and rejected the idea that the dog had charged in the way police described it. Her family’s attorney, Brett Greenfield, called the video shocking and stressed that the 911 call did not report violence or a domestic dispute.

Public anger over the shooting spread quickly. Activists and animal advocates gathered outside LAPD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, demanding that the department identify the officers and release the footage. Najee Ali of the Los Angeles National Action Network called the killing unnecessary and unwarranted. Support for the family also mounted online, where a GoFundMe for Jameson had raised $164,952 by Thursday, June 18.

City leaders pressed for answers as well. Mayor Karen Bass said she had spoken directly with Chief Jim McDonnell and wanted a full, transparent investigation and accountability. City Council member and mayoral candidate Nithya Raman called for a thorough review and prompt release of the body-worn camera footage. LAPD said multiple complaints had been received and that Internal Affairs Division was reviewing the case. The department said its Force Investigation Division handles deadly-force incidents and animal shootings, and its Critical Incident Video Release Policy calls for critical-incident video to be released within 45 days, though it can come sooner if the public interest demands it.

For LAPD, the case now sits at the intersection of force policy, transparency, and public trust. The footage answered some questions about the sequence of events, but the larger issue remains unresolved: whether the department’s rules, training, and review process can justify a police shooting that left a family dog dead after a welfare check that never should have become a fatal encounter.