DONKEY: L.A.P.D. Officer Fatally Sh00ts Knicks Fan’s Dog

Summary

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The Breakfast Club – Donkey of the Day: LAPD Officer Fatally Shoots Knicks Fan’s Dog

Date: June 22, 2026
Hosts: Charlamagne Tha God, DJ Envy (Jess Hilarious absent for this segment)
Podcast Network: The Black Effect Podcast Network & iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

In this episode’s “Donkey of the Day” segment, Charlamagne Tha God calls out an LAPD officer who fatally shot a golden retriever-poodle mix named Jameson, owned by a New York Knicks fan named Marie. The incident, which was caught on police body cam, stemmed from a neighbor's wellness check call after hearing celebratory screams following the Knicks' NBA championship win. The conversation transitions into a lively debate between Charlamagne and DJ Envy about police escalation, use of force, and public empathy towards violence against animals versus humans in police encounters.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Incident Breakdown & Initial Reactions

[04:16 – 05:13]

• Summary of the Incident:
  • Marie, a Knicks fan, was celebrating the team’s NBA championship at home.
  • Her dog Jameson—wearing a Knicks shirt—was with her as she cheered loudly.
  • A neighbor mistook the celebration for distress and called 911 for a wellness check.
  • Upon arrival, police repeatedly asked Marie to secure her dog.
  • The officer fatally shot Jameson when the dog approached as Marie reopened the door.
• Charlamagne’s Reaction:
  • Expresses sadness and frustration, questioning why a dog that “didn’t even look threatening” was killed.
  • Quote [04:03]:

    “Not a pit bull, not a rottweiler… This man shot and killed a golden retriever poodle mix. He shot Air Bud, man.”

2. Body Cam Audio and Neighbor’s Statement

[04:41 – 05:13]

• Clip from ABC7 news is played, describing the four gunshots and aftermath.
• Neighbor is quoted feeling guilty:
  • Quote [05:13]:

    “I thought the worst thing that could happen was that I inconvenienced her… They were very hostile, banging on that door.”

3. Police Use of Force & Aggression

[05:13 – 09:32]

• Charlamagne questions the police culture of escalation:
  • Police reach for violence first, even in non-criminal situations.
  • Excessive force isn’t compartmentalized—it’s a systemic issue.
  • Parallel drawn between unnecessary violence against animals vs. against black and brown people by law enforcement.
• Empathy & Double Standards:
  • Charlamagne calls for consistency in outrage, regardless of whether the victim is a dog or a human.
  • Quote [08:16]:

    “If you can recognize unnecessary violence when it happens to a dog, you should be able to recognize unnecessary violence when it happens to human beings, too. Empathy isn’t supposed to stop at species.”

4. Personal Anecdotes Illustrating Fear of Dogs

[07:40 – 08:12]

• Charlamagne shares a personal story about getting bit by a small dog as a kid to contextualize healthy fear, but insists it doesn’t justify violence.
  • Quote:

    “I got bit by Toto from the Wizard of Oz one time… so I understand having a healthy fear of dogs, but that does NOT justify killing Jameson, okay?”

5. Police Training, Escalation, & Accountability

[08:18 – 09:32]

• Aggressive policing habits lead to tragedy—even during supposed ‘wellness checks’.
• Unwillingness to de-escalate with animals has parallels to troubling trends in police interaction with marginalized communities.

6. Spirited Host Debate: Fault, Responsibility, & Policing

[09:34 – 13:17]

• DJ Envy’s Perspective:
  • Points to repeated police requests: “They told him six times to put the dog away. The owner did not put the dog away.” [10:33]
  • Defends the officer’s readiness due to uncertainty and the size of the dog:
    • Quote [11:10]:

      “It’s not like you said, I put it out… It’s a big ass dog.”

• Charlamagne pushes back:
  • Argues there were other non-lethal ways (taser, baton) to handle the situation.
  • Criticizes police for drawing a gun during a wellness check and questions logic:
    • Quote [11:02]:

      “Why you got your gun out for a wellness check, Envy?”

  • Stresses pattern: the same mindset leads to unnecessary violence against humans, “That same excessive force, that same police style is what leads to black people getting killed all the time.” [11:36]
• Point-counterpoint continues:
  • DJ Envy maintains fear of large dog justifies caution.
  • Charlamagne insists the officer escalated unnecessarily and demonstrates contradictions in empathy when comparing canine and human victims.

7. Broader Empathy and Social Commentary

[08:16 – 08:54]

• Charlamagne challenges listeners not to have “selective empathy.”
• Observes that society often reacts more strongly to the death of a dog than to police killing a black or brown person in similar circumstances.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Charlamagne Tha God [04:03]:

  “This man shot and killed a golden retriever poodle mix. He shot Air Bud, man.”

• Charlamagne Tha God [08:16]:

  “Empathy isn’t supposed to stop at species. If your compassion has conditions, then it’s not compassion, it’s preference.”

• DJ Envy [10:51]:

  “They told him six times to put the dog away. The owner did not put the dog away… It’s a big ass dog.”

• Charlamagne Tha God [11:02]:

  “Why you got your gun out for a wellness check, Envy?”

• Charlamagne Tha God [11:36]:

  “You do realize that same excessive force, that same police style is what leads to black people getting killed all the time.”

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Important Timestamps & Segments

• 02:35 – 05:13: Donkey of the Day introduction and summary of LAPD incident
• 05:13 – 09:32: Deeper analysis of police escalation and empathy across species and race
• 09:34 – 13:17: Host debate—police procedure, owner responsibility, force justification

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Tone and Style

• Candid, unfiltered, conversational.
• Charlamagne brings sharp social critique and humor with cultural references (Air Bud, The Wizard of Oz).
• DJ Envy offers a practical, caution-driven counterpoint.
• The segment balances humor with serious reflection on policing, race, and public empathy.

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Summary

This episode’s Donkey of the Day uses a tragic incident—an LAPD officer fatally shooting a Knicks fan’s dog during a wellness check—to highlight persistent problems with police escalation and the public’s selective empathy. Charlamagne criticizes the rush to violence, drawing parallels to broader issues of over-policing in minority communities and urging listeners to apply empathy consistently, whether the victim is a dog or a human. DJ Envy represents those who believe police caution is justified, sparking a nuanced, compelling debate about law enforcement, responsibility, and compassion.

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Transcript

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[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[DJ Envy]

It's time for Donkey of the Day.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

There's a bunch of donkeys out here in these streets. I made Donkey of the Day called Donkey of the Day. It really caught me off guard. We live a life where we bite our tongue based off who we may offend. We never would say anything.

[DJ Envy]

Charlie, man, give it to him. Give it to him.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You are a donkey. That is why Charlemagne is here. Some donkey today's just saw themselves on the Breakfast Club. Okay, Charlemagne, who you giving donkey of the Day to today? Well, Donkey, today for Monday, June 22, capital P's birthday. Drop on the clues box for Portia Williams. Once again, happy Monday, Portia. It goes to the lapd. I wish I knew the name of this one LAPD officer who decided that he needed to shoot and kill a golden retriever poodle mix named Jameson. You heard what the hell I said. This LAPD officer shot and killed a dog named Jameson. Not a pit bull, not a rottweiler, not a Cane Corso, not a German shepherd. Not saying any of those dogs deserve to die. Just saying. Those are usually the guard dogs. Those are usually the dogs that people are scared of that signify danger. This man shot and killed a golden retriever poodle mix. He shot Air Bud, man. Okay, I'm not even a dog person. And this story made me extremely sad because this golden retriever poodle mix was wearing a New York Knicks T shirt shirt. Okay, See, what happened was the dog's owner, who goes by the name Marie, she's a New York Knicks fan. And she was celebrating in her apartment the night the Knicks won the championship. And her dog Jameson was clearly celebrating with her. You know, when the owner gets hyped, the dog get hyped too. Well, that prompted one of the neighbors to call the police to do a welfare check because black joy to her, sounds like someone is in danger. Let's go to ABC 7 Eyewitness News for the report. Please.

[Paramount/BET Promoter]

This police body cam video shows the moment an officer opened fire on a woman's pet.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Is the dog put away? Please put it on. It's all good.

[Paramount/BET Promoter]

Four gunshots. Jameson, Marie's golden retriever poodle mix, died in her arms.

[DJ Envy]

We were just so happy. We were trying to celebrate some mix.

[Paramount/BET Promoter]

The story begins just before 9pm PM last weekend. A neighbor calls 911 concerned that Marie

[Karen Kilgariff]

was in distress, I heard my neighbor. She's been screaming, oh, my God, for 20 minutes, like something really bad happened. I just was wondering if someone could do a wellness check on them.

[Paramount/BET Promoter]

We now know Marie was celebrating the New York Knicks NBA title win. In an exclusive interview, the neighbor tells me she feels guilty.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I thought the worst thing that could happen was that I inconvenienced her. And she would just say, I'm okay, and they would leave. They were very hostile. They were banging on that door. It sounded like with a baton or something. Question. If all dogs go to heaven, does that mean if you murder a dog in cold blood, does that mean you automatically go to hell? I think so. Okay, see, there is two types of people in this world. Dog lovers who are infuriated by this because the dog got killed in cold blood, and people who don't have an affinity for dogs. But understand that the issue here isn't the dog being killed. It's the mindset of some police officers, okay? Excessive force doesn't exist in compartments, all right? For whatever reason, police culture is a culture that depended on whatever community they are in. They reach for violence first, okay? And ask questions later. And they see every situation as a threat, which I will never understand, because not only do they have the guns, they have a license to kill. Well, not an actual license, but the law does permit them to use deadly force in highly specific situations to protect themselves or others from imminent harm. So this same law that killed Jameson has also resulted in far too many black and brown people losing their lives during police encounters. Okay, this is such an interesting story, because this isn't something that can be politicized by race, gender, class. This is simply us discussing the broader issue of escalation and the use of force by police officers. Okay? Every officer doesn't behave this way, all right? Some officers would have let the dog run up to him, jump on them, okay? They would have petted the dog, played with him. But for whatever reason, this officer decided to escalate a situation that did not need to be escalated. Okay? I don't understand why some police officers, you know, training, temperament and instinct, tell them that every problem requires a gun. Okay? It was a wellness check. The neighbor didn't say she thought it was a crime. She just said she heard Marie saying, oh, my God. Oh, my God, oh, my God. For 20 minutes. She could have been in there with the G Spot seven seed, you know, sucking clitoral stimulation massager for all we know. But the officers didn't even take the time to find out. Because some officers have a style of policing that values domination over de escalation. And that's not good. That's not good, okay? Aggression can become a habit if officers are trained to see danger everywhere. And eventually they'll create the very tragedies they're supposed to prevent, all right? That's how a wellness check turns into a dog being dead. In the same style of policing that can't find patience with a dog, damn sure can't find patience with people, okay? And history has shown us who tends to pay the highest price when that happens, all right? This officer must have been bit by a dog before, all right? I got bit by Toto from the wizard of Oz one time, all right? One of those little terriers, and I deserved it because I was on my knees barking at that dog, growling at that dog, and I backed that dog into a corner, and when I got up and turned around, that little terrier ran and bit me right on my lower back. I mean, in the perfect spot with my lower back and the top of my ass connected. So I understand having a healthy fear of dogs, but that does not justify killing Jameson, okay? Because some of y' all police officers have a healthy fear of black people, too. And y' all use that fear to justify killing us. And while we. On this subject, some of y' all gonna hear this story and be outraged, and you should be, but please don't have selective empathy, okay? If you can recognize unnecessary violence when it happens to a dog, then you should be able to recognize unnecessary violence when it happens to human beings, too, okay? Some of y' all gonna piss me off, because you're gonna show more passion over a dog being killed than when. Then. Then when, when. When a black person or a brown person is killed in those same encounters, okay? So don't march for a dog and make excuses for a man, all right? Some of y' all will demand justice for the golden retriever poodle mix, but debate whether a black person deserved what happened to them. That's the contradiction I don't like, all right? Empathy isn't supposed to stop at species. It isn't supposed to stop at race or politics. If you're. If your compassion has conditions, then it's not compassion, it's preference, okay? And if a dog's life can remind you that excessive force by police is wrong, great. But maybe it's time to ask yourself why that lesson becomes so complicated when the victim is black. Please let Remy Ma give the LAPD the biggest hee haw Hee haw hee.

[Podcast Announcer]

Hawk, you stupid?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Are you dumb? Horrible man. How you shoot? Ed Bud, man. Ed Bud just rocking a Knicks jersey. Golden retriever, poodle mix. The dog. Did the dog look. It don't even look threatening. It didn't even look menacing.

[Podcast Announcer]

I said.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What?

[DJ Envy]

I. I don't know.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You want to play? Of course you don't. Cuz you.

[DJ Envy]

No, I. I don't know. I'm explaining to you why. Because I just watched the video. This is the first time I'm seeing it, right? They. They said that there was screaming at the house. So the police came to check on the screaming at the house, right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When it was a wellness check, right? Woman specifically said, I want you to come do a wellness correct.

[DJ Envy]

Because they said they're screaming upstairs. Oh my God.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh my God. You ain't never heard that type of noise coming from an apartment building?

[DJ Envy]

Finish. Let me finish. The dog comes outside. They say, please put the dog away. They close the door. Ask him six times. I counted six times. Is the dog cleared? Did you put the dog away? Please put the dog away. Please put the dog away. They told him six times to put the dog away. The owner did not put the dog away.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, she did.

[DJ Envy]

No, she didn't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Because how did the dog get back out? Because when she came back outside, the dog came running.

[DJ Envy]

That means you didn't put the dog away.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You gonna put the dog.

[DJ Envy]

That means you didn't put the dog away. Like you didn't put the dog away. So now you walk back outside and the police already say that's a big ass dog, right? It's not a little dog. Don't think it's a little, a little dog that I could kick. The dog is a big dog.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's the size of my dog. You think the dog should have been shot and killed? There was no other ways for the police officer. It's a big ass dog.

[DJ Envy]

I told you six times to put the dog away, right? We're doing a wellness check. I have my gun out. The dog starts charging.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why you got your gun out for a wellness check? Envy.

[DJ Envy]

Because you got a big ass dog

[Charlamagne Tha God]

and I told you to put the

[DJ Envy]

dog away six times.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's a wellness check, right?

[DJ Envy]

And I told you to put the

[Charlamagne Tha God]

dog your gun out because I told

[DJ Envy]

you to put the dog away six times. Because I want to check my gun anyway. I want to check what's going on. And I told you six times. It's not like you said, I put it out.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you pull your gun out six

[DJ Envy]

times and they even say, yo, that's a big ass dog is a lot count. I want you to count it because I'm reading it. It's six times. Did you clear the dog? Did you put the dog away? Did you put the dog away? And then, you know, people with dogs, owners with dogs, they always say, my dog's not aggressive. You're not gonna bite.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You do realize that same excessive force, that same police style is what leads to black people getting killed all the time.

[DJ Envy]

Right now we're talking about one specific story and I'm talking about this story right here that I just watched this

[Charlamagne Tha God]

video policing, but I just watched. Why do you have your gun out? Why you. Even if you're afraid of the dog, you can't use your taser. You can't hit the dog with your baton.

[DJ Envy]

Are we moving the goal post like the dog? We told you to put the dog away, right? Six times you close the door to put the dog away. No, it's the truth. It's what's fair. Let's open it, let's discuss it. Let's open up the phone line.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Sure.

[DJ Envy]

800-585-1051. I'm just looking. I, I don't, I don't see black, white. I see dog. I'm scared as hell.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But you don't see the excessive force of the. You don't see the excessive force. I'm in from the police officer, right?

[DJ Envy]

But if I'm an officer and I'm coming to do because somebody said they're screaming upstairs and I don't know what's going on, so I'm have to do my job. So I don't know what's going on. They heard screaming. I don't know if somebody's getting hurt or not.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And by the way, you know the woman that was talking in the video that was saying, I don't know why they came over there like that, that was the neighbor who actually called. Well, when, you know, she only called for a wellness.

[DJ Envy]

When you call and you hear screaming, they doing it. They're doing a child, they're doing a job and they're doing a check. They see the dog. They asked six times, I seen six times to put the dog.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You also see the owner and you realize that the owner is not in no trouble, right? And the owner is saying, oh, I was just excited about the game. We were celebrating. But now that don't just told you what happened.

[DJ Envy]

So you just coming towards me. But no, there's no dog is charging

[Charlamagne Tha God]

towards you still have your gun up.

[DJ Envy]

The dog is charging towards me after I said, put this do away six times because I want to see what's going on.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Kick the dog. Hit the dog with your baton. Something you ain't. That's not a little dog.

[DJ Envy]

That dog was bigger than my Doberman. It was bigger than my shepherd. 800-585-1051. Let's discuss. We're gonna clear the lines. Let's discuss who's right, who's wrong. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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