Current:Home > MyAngie Harmon is suing Instacart and a former shopper who shot and killed her dog, Oliver -AssetLink
Angie Harmon is suing Instacart and a former shopper who shot and killed her dog, Oliver
View
Date:2025-04-11 21:28:14
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Actor Angie Harmon has filed a lawsuit against Instacart and one of its former shoppers who fatally shot her dog in March while delivering groceries at her North Carolina home.
The lawsuit filed late last week in Mecklenburg County seeks to hold the shopper and Instacart liable for accusations of trespassing, gross negligence, emotional distress and invasion of privacy, among other allegations. It accuses Instacart of engaging in negligent hiring, supervision, retention and misrepresentation. The suit seeks monetary damages, to be determined at trial.
Instacart says the shopper has since been permanently banned from its platform.
Harmon is known for her work on TV shows including “Law & Order” and “Rizolli & Isles.” She told ABC News that it was “so unfathomable to think that there is somebody in your front driveway that just fired a gun.”
“I think Instacart is beyond responsible for all of this. This didn’t have to happen,” Harmon said in the interview that aired Wednesday on “Good Morning America.” ABC News described the dog as a “beagle mix.”
According to the complaint, Harmon ordered an Instacart groceries delivery from a Charlotte store on March 30. The Instacart app showed a shopper named Merle with a profile photo of an older woman, with whom Harmon believed she was exchanging text messages about her order, the lawsuit says.
Later that day, Harmon was upstairs filling her squirrel feeders when a “tall and intimidating younger man,” not an older woman, showed up to deliver the groceries, the lawsuit says.
Harmon said she heard a gunshot sound and rushed outside. She found her dog, Oliver, had been shot, and saw the delivery person putting a gun into the front of his pants, according to the suit. Her teenage daughters, who had already been outside, were “in distress,” it says. The dog died at the veterinarian’s office.
The shopper told police that he shot the dog after it attacked him, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department told news outlets, adding that they did not pursue criminal charges.
In an Instagram post last month about the encounter, Harmon wrote that the shopper “did not have a scratch or bite on him nor were his pants torn.”
Instacart says it immediately suspended the shopper after receiving the report about the shooting, then later removed him permanently. The company says it runs comprehensive background checks on shoppers, prohibits them from carrying weapons and has anti-fraud measures that include periodically requiring them to take a photo of themselves to ensure the person shopping matches their photo on file.
“Our hearts continue to be with Ms. Harmon and her family following this disturbing incident,” Instacart said in a statement. “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.”
veryGood! (771)
Related
- US Open player compensation rises to a record $65 million, with singles champs getting $3.6 million
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, As It Stands
- Missouri voters to decide whether to legalize abortion in a state with a near-total ban
- Tropical Storm Rafael to become hurricane before landfall in Cuba. Is US at risk?
- Giants, Lions fined $200K for fights in training camp joint practices
- What It's Really Like Growing Up As First Kid in the White House
- Ashanti and Nelly Share Sweet Update on Family Life 3 Months After Welcoming Baby
- Za'Darius Smith trade grades: Who won deal between Lions, Browns?
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- New Hampshire’s governor’s race pits ex-Sen. Kelly Ayotte against ex-Mayor Joyce Craig
Ranking
- Taylor Swift Cancels Austria Concerts After Confirmation of Planned Terrorist Attack
- Alaska voters deciding a hard-fought race for the state’s only U.S. House seat, election issues
- Progressive district attorney faces tough-on-crime challenger in Los Angeles
- Tim Walz’s Family Guide: Meet the Family of Kamala Harris’ Running Mate
- Breaking debut in Olympics raises question: Are breakers artists or athletes?
- Prince's Sister Tyka Nelson Dead at 64
- Control of Congress is at stake and with it a president’s agenda
- Democrats in Ohio defending 3 key seats in fight for control of US House
Recommendation
New Orleans mayor’s former bodyguard making first court appearance after July indictment
Kentucky voters to decide fate of school choice ballot measure
Tennessee’s US Sen. Blackburn seeks reelection against Democratic state Rep. Gloria Johnson
America reaches Election Day and a stark choice between Trump and Harris
Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
Prince William Reveals the Question His Kids Ask Him the Most During Trip to South Africa
Patrick Mahomes survives injury scare in Chiefs' overtime win vs. Buccaneers
Pennsylvania is home to 5 heavily contested races for the US House