Mary Marseille, a 45-year-old woman whose pet Labradoodle dog was killed by a Los Angeles Police Department officer last month, sued the city of Los Angeles and several unnamed officers, alleging the department inappropriately used force against Jamerson even though the dog did nothing to threaten her.The woman was screaming with joy at the New York Knicks’ recent NBA Finals win. But her neighbors sensed she was in distress and demanded a welfare check on the woman. The person who called 911 said the woman had been screaming ‘Oh my God’ for 20 minutes.When officers responded to the incident, they found the dog and fired several shots, killing it.“Jameson did not bite anyone, charge at the officers, or do anything that would indicate imminent danger of serious physical harm,” the lawsuit said. The lawsuit states that the officer who killed Jameson fired multiple shots and brutally killed Jameson, without attempting to calm Jameson down, or giving the plaintiffs a chance to calm down or calm Jameson down.In body camera footage of the encounter released last month, two officers responding to a call at Marseille’s Canoga Park Apartments can be heard raising concerns over the size of Jameson, a gold retriever, Saint Bernard and poodle mix. One officer said, “Lord, that’s a big dog.” Another said, “I ain’t botherin’ with it, bro.”Jameson’s owners said he was not an aggressive dog at all. But when Jameson ran out the door and began barking as he approached an officer, the officer fired several shots from his pistol, killing the dog as Jameson’s owners screamed. Jameson was also wearing a Knicks shirt.The lawsuit accused the city and officers of failing to follow the LAPD police manual, making an unlawful seizure, negligent conduct, and failing to properly train officers.Marsile argued that under LAPD policy, officers have the authority to use force against an animal only if the animal is in immediate danger of injury. The policy is consistent with the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Guidelines on Dog Encounters, which emphasize that police officers must read canine body language to distinguish between “energetic” and “aggressive” behavior, according to the suit.“An energetic dog – one that is excited, hopping, barking – is not necessarily an aggressive dog, and the distinction matters under both LAPD policy and the constitutional standard,” the lawsuit states.“Losing a pet is extremely personal,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell wrote in a statement on Twitter last month. “For many people, a dog is not just an animal; it is a companion, a source of comfort, and a family member.”“This shooting makes clear that the LAPD provides officers with written guidance on the use of force and pets, but it is not enough,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement after the body camera footage was released. He described the evidence as “disturbing and sad”.