Actress Angie Harmon accused an Instacart driver of shooting and killing her dog, then boasting about it in front of her family.
The Law & Order alum said in an emotional Instagram post that she and her daughters are “completely traumatized & beyond devastated” over the loss of their pup Oliver. Police responded to her Charlotte, N.C., home over the weekend, and Instacart has launched an investigation. Here’s what’s going on.
🔎 What happened?
On March 30, Harmon used Instacart to get groceries delivered. When the driver arrived, Harmon claimed, the man “got out of his car, delivered the food & THEN shot our dog.”
The Rizzoli & Isles star alleged the driver saw that her Ring camera was charging in the house and took advantage of knowing he was not being recorded. “The police let him go [because] he claimed ‘self defense,'” Harmon continued. “[The driver] did not have a scratch or bite on him nor were his pants torn.”
The actress concluded, “He shot our dog with my daughters & myself at home & just kept saying, ‘yeah, I shot your dog. Yeah I did.’ We are completely traumatized & beyond devastated at the loss of our beloved boy & family member.”
A rep for Harmon did not have an additional comment when reached by Yahoo Entertainment. Harmon expanded on the incident with a message specifically to the driver on her Instagram story.
🚔 What are police saying?
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s South Division responded to a report of a dog being shot. A police spokesperson told Yahoo that “officers located and spoke to all involved parties.”
“The investigation revealed that a delivery driver arrived at the residence to deliver consumable goods. The driver told officers that a dog attacked him while he was at the residence and that he defended himself by firing a single gunshot, striking and mortally wounding the dog. Another dog was present at the residence but did not attack,” CMPD added in a statement.
“No criminal charges have been filed in relation to this incident, and CMPD is not currently seeking any additional parties,” the statement concluded. “CMPD’s Animal Care and Control also responded to the scene.”
🥕 What is Instacart saying?
“We were deeply saddened and disturbed to hear about this incident,” a rep for the grocery delivery service told Yahoo. “We have no tolerance for violence of any kind, and the shopper account was immediately suspended from our platform. We have been in direct contact with the customer and are cooperating with law enforcement on their investigation.”
❌ The case is closed
A rep for the police confirmed to Yahoo that “the case status is closed.”
⚖️ Can Harmon pursue legal options on her own?
Yes, but one legal expert believes “additional investigation would be necessary.”
“The family has potential claims in civil court for the [alleged] offender’s tortious conduct. Intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction thereof, and conversion are all viable causes of action here,” criminal defense attorney Michel Huff explained to Yahoo.
