The actress has filed a lawsuit against Instacart and a shopper after an alleged delivery incident resulted in the death of her dog.
Angie Harmon is speaking out about her decision to sue Instacart and a shopper after an alleged delivery incident ended in the death of her family dog, Oliver.
An interview between the 51-year-old actress and ABC News' Juju Chang aired Wednesday on Good Morning America, during which Harmon opened up about the March incident she initially shared via her Instagram page.
"It's so unfathomable to think that there is somebody in your front driveway that just fired a gun," Harmon said. "And you don't ever forget that sound... I've played law enforcement for 30 years. It's just so different."
The Rizzoli & Isles star said that she and her two daughters, Emery, 15, and Avery, 18, were home at the time of the incident.
"I think we were in such shock," Harmon told Chang. "I was screaming at Avery to call 911. And when I said that, [the delivery driver] goes, 'No, I'm calling 911. I'll do it.'"
In court documents obtained by ET, Harmon is suing the grocery delivery service and the shopper -- whom the suit names as Christopher Anthoney Reid -- for alleged trespassing, conversion, negligence, negligent supervision/hiring, invasion of privacy and negligent misrepresentation. She is seeking over $25,000 in damages, though the exact amount will be determined at trial.
The filing claims that Harmon believed she was interacting with the delivery driver named "Merle," whose profile picture depicted an older woman, while answering questions about her order. But the Instacart shopper (Reid) who arrived to deliver the groceries is described as "a tall and intimidating younger man."
The suit claims that Harmon, who was with her children in the backyard, allegedly "heard what sounded like a gunshot" after Reid arrived. "Terrified for her children's safety, Ms. Harmon immediately ran downstairs to determine to source of what she thought was a gunshot," the filing claims.
When she arrived outside, Harmon allegedly noticed Reid "was placing a gun in the front of his pants, potentially in his pant pocket. Looking to the side, she saw that her beloved dog, Oliver, was shot. Although shot, Oliver was still alive."
The dog later died at the veterinarian's office.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's South Division told ET that officers spoke to all parties involved when the incident took place on Saturday, March 30.
"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," the police shared at the time. "Another dog was present at the residence but did not attack."
The police noted that no criminal charges were filed as a result of the incident, and that CMPD's Animal Care and Control also responded at the scene.
On Wednesday, Mike Allinger, Senior Public Affairs Specialist of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department told ET, "The case is closed and there are no plans to reopen it."
Harmon's suit alleges that Reid was "not injured" or "seriously threatened" by Harmon's dog and had "ample opportunity" to leave the property unharmed without shooting the dog.
When Harmon took to Instagram to blast the grocery shopping service about the incident last month, she alleged that Reid "knew" he wasn't being recorded.
"Our Ring camera was charging in the house, which he saw & then knew he wasn’t being recorded," Harmon alleged via an Instagram post. "The police let him go b/c he claimed 'self-defense'. He did not have a scratch or bite on him nor were his pants torn."
She shared the driver's account to her Instagram Story and added another post, writing, "To the man who took Ollie away from us: your actions are despicable and inexcusable. You've not only robbed us of our beloved member of our family but you've also traumatized us beyond measure."
Speaking with Chang, Harmon said she didn't see any physical indications the delivery driver had been attacked, claiming that a necropsy performed on Oliver showed no signs of having bitten or violently attacked anyone.
"First of all, I think Instacart is beyond responsible for all of this," Harmon said, adding that she and her daughters have struggled with their mental health following the incident. "This didn't have to happen."
In April, a representative for Instacart told ET that the driver in question had been suspended from the company.
"We were deeply saddened and disturbed to hear about this incident," a statement from the company read at the time. "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."
On Wednesday, the company provided a further statement, telling ET, "Our hearts continue to be with Ms. Harmon and her family following this disturbing incident. While we cannot comment on pending litigation, we have no tolerance for violence of any kind, and the shopper account has been permanently deactivated from our platform."
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