When New York Knicks fan Marie Marseille watched her team win the NBA championship, she was so excited at what was unfolding, her cheers and screams of delight prompted neighbors in her Los Angeles building—who were perhaps not aware of the scenes unfolding thousands of miles across the country—to call the police. What happened next is now headed to federal court. When police arrived at Marseille’s address they were alarmed by the size of her dog Jameson, a 100-pound, Knicks-jersey-wearing 2-year-old shaggy golden Saint Berdoodle. One of the officers shot Jameson dead. The two officers knocked on Marseille’s Canoga Park apartment door to check on her after a neighbor in her complex called police to say she could not get a response after hearing exclamations of “Oh my God!” coming from Marseille’s apartment on June 13. Jameson barked loudly at police when Marseille first opened her door, body cam footage shows. She was asked to secure the dog, but when she reopened the door to step out, Jameson pushed past her and bounded down the hallway toward an officer, who fired his service pistol four times, killing the dog. Attorneys for Marseille and her son filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles on Thursday, seeking damages for “undue use of force.” “Jameson never bared his teeth, growled at either officer, or otherwise displayed any attempt whatsoever to attack,” the lawsuit says. It seeks unstated “exemplary damages” from the city, “sufficient to punish and make an example,” as well as lawyers fees.
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