The LAPD Tragically Killed a Dog named Jameson. But There is a Way to Keep Animals Safe in the Future

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers recently shot and killed a 2-year-old Golden Saint Bernard doodle named Jameson in Los Angeles while responding to reports of yelling coming from a residential apartment. The yelling that prompted the officers to knock on the door of the apartment turned out to be cheers of joy related to the New York Knicks winning the NBA Championship–and Jameson even was wearing a Knicks t-shirt when he was shot. Bodycam footage has been released appearing to show that despite being told Jameson was not aggressive, an officer then fires four shots at Jameson after he came into the hallway and barked at them. LAPD’s Internal Affairs Division is now investigating the incident.  

This tragedy is only the latest incident involving law enforcement unnecessarily shooting a family dog. We know this is a preventable problem. Rather than proven malicious intent, this often boils down to a lack of training. Police officers should receive adequate training and when incidents happen, those involved need to be held accountable. The goal is to prevent these tragedies from ever happening in the first place. Thanks to critical educational efforts with police forces across the U.S, we’ve seen that with proper training, we can achieve a positive outcome for law enforcement officers and companion animals alike. 

Here’s the broader context: in the United States, the number one reason a police officer discharges their weapon is to shoot at a dog. In some cities, this accounts for 75% of officers’ use of firearms. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has estimated that as many as 10,000 dogs are annually shot and killed by police, which may even be low given that there are around 18,000 police departments in the U.S. and some cities like Detroit shoot dozens of dogs each year. And of course, when police officers fire their weapons with such frequency in populated areas, even more severe, fatal consequences can result. There are several instances where police officers have fired their guns at dogs and ended up killing members of the public, in addition to incidents of shooting themselves, their partners, their supervisors, or even their own K9 police dogs.  

This issue is one that the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) has been involved with for many years. In 2016, ALDF helped fund the documentary Of Dogs And Men, which documents the extent of the problem of police shooting family pets and explores potential solutions. And in 2020, I authored and helped pass an American Bar Association Resolution recommending comprehensive animal encounter training for all law enforcement officers.  

Two years ago, another preventable tragedy made headlines when a police officer with the City of Sturgeon, MO, shot and killed a blind, deaf, 13-pound Shih Tzu mix named Teddy. With funding from ALDF, a complaint was filed by Attorneys Daniel J. Kolde and Eric C. Crinnian against the city and police officer involved. The defendants agreed to pay $500,000 as part of a historic settlement that we hope will send a message to other police departments: if your officers needlessly harm an animal, you will pay. To prevent similar tragedies from happening again in the state, legislation was introduced this year that would require police officer training on how to properly handle canine encounters. Sadly, but not surprisingly, police officers in Missouri already have shot and killed other dogs in the two years since Teddy’s death.  

It’s worth noting that lawyers for the owner of Jameson have since filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, seeking damages for undue use of force. And just last month, a Colorado case involving police shooting a family dog was settled for a record $675,000. 

Courts around the country have recognized for several decades that many dog shootings involving police are unjustified. In 2005, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that “the Fourth Amendment forbids the killing of a person’s dog, or the destruction of a person’s property, when that destruction is unnecessary––i.e., when less intrusive, or less destructive, alternatives exist.” The court further declared, “We have recognized that dogs are more than just a personal effect. The emotional attachment to a family’s dog is not comparable to a possessory interest in furniture.” 

In light of this standard, it is notable to point out that records dating back to 1791 indicate there has not been one documented incident of a U.S. police officer being killed in a dog attack. By comparison, during that same 234-year span, at least 69 police officers were killed by horses, three by bees, two by cows, one by lions, one by a spider, and one by a cat. There were a few officers who contracted rabies as the result of dog bites, but the last recorded instance of that happening was in 1936.  

Fortunately, there is an effective way to avoid these preventable police shootings, and that is simply providing training and holding officers accountable. After the Chicago Police Department instituted comprehensive animal encounter training along with updated policies and procedures, the city achieved a 67% drop in the number of police officers shooting at dogs –– falling from 73 incidents in 2014 to 24 in 2017. The DOJ itself even produced a training handbook to address the issue with an accompanying series of training videos entitled, Police & Dog Encounters: Tactical Strategies and Effective Tools to Keep Our Communities Safe and Humane. 

But when facing tight municipal and county budgets, law enforcement departments often can’t be relied upon to implement such police training on their own. That is where legislation can be crucial. In 2015, ALDF helped pass a law in Texas mandating statewide animal encounter training for all police officers that reduced the number of such shootings by over 90 percent in just the first two years. 

Historically, LAPD has provided comprehensive animal encounter guidance and held officers accountable when their conduct diverges from that training. LAPD Captain Scott Sargent, who oversees their Use of Force Review Division, even spoke at the 2013 Animal Law Conference explaining the measures they take to prevent such shootings. With Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass publicly stating that she was “very concerned about why shots were fired and Jameson was killed,” I expect that there will be a thorough and open investigation by LAPD. 

But as Mayor Bass further stated, “This shooting makes clear that while LAPD provides officers with written guidance on the use of force and pets, this is not enough.” 

That is why state-wide legislation mandating animal encounter training for all law enforcement officers is crucial to solving this problem and preventing further unnecessary tragedies happening to dogs like Jameson, Teddy, and their families. 

In the meantime, ALDF continues working every day to ensure police officers are trained and held accountable to protect America’s dogs, their families, the public, and the officers themselves. It shouldn’t take even more heart-wrenching incidents happening before law enforcement takes these commonsense preventative measures seriously.  

Jameson, Teddy, and all of us deserve better.