Woman whose dog was killed by LAPD officers is suing the police department: Jameson did not growl at either officer, nor did he attempt to attack them.

Mary Marseille, the 45-year-old woman whose pet Labradoodle was killed by a Los Angeles Police Department officer last month, has filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles and several unidentified officers, alleging that the department used undue force against Jamerson when the dog did nothing to threaten them.The woman was screaming for joy at the New York Knicks’ recent victory in the NBA Finals. But her neighbors thought she was in distress and called for a welfare check on the woman. The person who called 911 said the woman was screaming “Oh my God” for 20 minutes.When officers responded to the incident, they saw the dog and fired several shots, killing it.“Jimson did not bite anyone, charge the officers, or do anything that would indicate an imminent threat of serious bodily harm,” the lawsuit stated.

The lawsuit added that the officer who killed Jameson “fired multiple shots and killed Jameson in cold blood, without attempting to calm Jameson, or giving Plaintiff an opportunity to calm or calm Jameson.”In body camera footage of the encounter, released last month, the two officers who responded to the call at Marseille’s Canoga Park apartment can be heard worrying about the size of Jameson, a gold retriever, St. Bernard and poodle mix.

“Oh my God, that’s a big dog,” one officer said. “I am not affected by this, brother,” said the other.Jameson’s owners said he was never an aggressive dog. But when Jameson ran out the door and started barking toward an officer, the officer fired his gun several times, killing the dog while Jameson’s owners screamed. Jameson was also wearing a Knicks jersey.The lawsuit accused the city and officers of failing to follow the LAPD police manual, making illegal seizures, engaging in negligent conduct, and failing to properly train officers.Marseille emphasized that under LAPD policy, officers are only allowed to use force against an animal when the animal poses an immediate threat of injury. The policy is consistent with the California Peace Commission’s standards and peace officer training guidelines for dog encounters, which stress that police officers must read dogs’ body language to distinguish between “active” and “aggressive” behavior, according to the lawsuit.“An active dog — one that is excited, moving, and barking — is not necessarily an aggressive dog, and the distinction is important under LAPD policy and constitutional standards,” the lawsuit states.“Losing a pet is a very personal matter,” Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell wrote in a statement on Channel X last month. “For many, a dog is not just an animal, but a companion, a source of comfort and a member of the family.”“This shooting demonstrates that while the LAPD provides officers with written guidance about use of force and pets, that is not enough,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement after the body camera footage was released, calling the evidence “disturbing and tragic.”