The Los Angeles Police Department released body-camera video Tuesday showing the fatal shooting of a golden Saint Bernard doodle in a Canoga Park apartment hallway, but the footage came with an unusual edit: the officers' faces were blurred out.
Police responded to reports of screaming at the residence on June 13, which turned out to be a woman cheering after the New York Knicks won the NBA Finals. When Marie Marseille opened her door, her two-year-old dog rushed into the hallway and began barking at the officers.
One officer immediately drew his weapon and aimed it downward before raising it toward the doorway. "Put your dog away!" he shouted. His partner remarked on the dog's size. "I ain't getting bit by that, bro," the armed officer replied.
Marseille attempted to keep the dog inside by holding the door partially closed and assured the officers the dog was not aggressive. But the dog, dressed in a blue Knicks jersey and named Jameson, stepped into the hallway and barked again. The officer with his gun drawn fired four times. Both Marseille and the other officer were standing behind the animal when shots rang out.
The footage reveals additional details about how the encounter unfolded before the shooting. Body-camera images suggest the second officer was carrying two pistols. During the initial exchange with Marseille, his right hand hovered over what appeared to be his service weapon. After Marseille secured her dog inside, he unholstered a second pistol in his left hand and pointed it directly at Marseille during their calm conversation, before the dog reentered the hallway.
A video of Marseille grieving over Jameson's body circulated widely on social media following Saturday's shooting. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she spoke with Police Chief Jim McDonnell to order an investigation into the use of force.
The rapid release of the footage caught the attention of NBC4 reporter Eric Leonard, who noted that the LAPD typically takes longer to release body-camera material. More striking was the department's decision to blur the officers' faces. "I've been looking at these body-worn videos for years. I don't remember another instance where officers' faces were blurred ever before," Leonard said.
Author James Rodriguez: "The face blur is the story here, and it raises real questions about transparency in an already controversial shooting."
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