Officers responding to a report of a screaming woman at a Canoga Park apartment wound up shooting her dog after the poodle mix rushed at them, authorities said Monday, but it turned out the woman was merely hollering in celebration of the New York Knicks winning the NBA championship.
The tragic chain of events started shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday when a neighbor heard a woman screaming from the apartment in the 7500 block of Jordan Avenue, according to a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman.
The person who made the report directed officers to the apartment, and when they got to the door, “a large dog was by her side barking at the officers,” according to an LAPD statement.
“The officers asked her to secure the dog, and the resident closed her door momentarily,” according to the LAPD. “She re-opened the door, and the dog exited the apartment. Once outside of the apartment, the dog charged at one of the officers, resulting in an officer-involved shooting.”
According to multiple reports from the scene, the woman was screaming with joy at the Knicks’ title-clinching victory in Game 5 of the championship series against the San Antonio Spurs. The dog, Jameson, a 2-year-old Golden Retriever-Saint Bernard and poodle mix, was wearing a New York Knicks shirt.
News footage shows the woman kneeling over her mortally wounded pet outside her front door moments after the shooting, crying in grief, “He’s such a good dog!”
Police said the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services was notified, “responded to the scene and took custody of the deceased dog. The dog owner was at (the) scene and cooperated with the investigation.”
The LAPD’s Force Investigation Division is investigating the shooting.