JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The owner of a 1-year-old Great Dane named Lucy has filed a federal lawsuit against a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officer and the City of Jacksonville, alleging civil rights violations following the dog’s fatal shooting in 2022.
The shooting, captured on police bodycam video, has sparked controversy and debate over the use of deadly force.
The incident occurred on April 11, 2022, when Officer Karl Lampkin responded to a report of a dog allegedly chasing a teenage boy on his way to school.
The boy’s mother, who called 911, claimed Lucy had chased her son. However, Lucy’s owner, Kimberly Barus, stated the dogs were confined within her yard at the time, barking but not posing a threat.
Barus said Lampkin asked her to open the gate to see if Lucy would approach.
The officer’s bodycam footage showed Lucy emerging from the gate and walking toward the officer before being shot multiple times.
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The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office conducted a Response to Resistance review and deemed the use of deadly force within policy. The officer reported minor injuries, including a cut on his finger and a puncture on his leg.
The lawsuit cites that the officer violated Barus’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. It also alleges that Officer Lampkin failed to notify animal control and allow their trained personnel to handle cases involving alleged animal aggression.
“Why bring the dog out of the fence?” Civil Rights Attorney Eric Friday questioned.
To view the full lawsuit:
Friday is unaffiliated with the case but weighed in on the lawsuit.
“Despite how we all feel about our dogs, the law does not treat them as part of our family. It treats them as property. Because of that, the officer destroyed this woman’s personal property, in this case, a canine,” Friday said. “By depriving her of that piece of property, he violated her Fourth Amendment rights because the government is not allowed to seize your property without probable cause to believe an offense has been committed and they’re taking it as evidence. It’s evidence of a criminal act and there was no arguable probable cause this officer had to believe that dog was evidence of a crime.”
Barus said revisiting the incident has been emotionally challenging but hopes the lawsuit will bring justice.
“It’s hard to think about it again, but it’s also great to finally see that maybe justice will be served,” she said.
JSO confirmed that Lampkin remains on the force but did not comment due to the pending litigation.