Angie Harmon Sues Instacart and Delivery Driver After Her Dog Was Shot and Killed

• Angie Harmon filed a lawsuit against Instacart and the delivery driver just over a month after her dog was shot and killed.
• In the lawsuit, obtained by PEOPLE, Harmon’s attorneys are suing the grocery delivery service and the driver for alleged trespassing, negligence, invasion of privacy and more.
• The Rizzoli & Isles alum is seeking over $25,000 in damages, although the exact amount will be determined at trial.

Angie Harmon is suing Instacart and the delivery driver more than a month after she claimed her dog was shot to death.

According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Rizzoli & Isles The alum, 51, is suing the grocery delivery service and the driver, whom the suit names as Christopher Anthony Reid, alleging trespassing, conversion, negligence, negligent supervision/hiring, invasion of privacy and negligent misrepresentation. She is seeking more than $25,000 in damages, but the exact amount will be determined at trial.

In the filing, Harmon’s attorneys claim the actress scheduled a March 30 grocery delivery from the chain store in Charlotte, North Carolina. At the time, the lawsuit alleges, Harmon believed she was communicating with a delivery driver named “Merle,” whose profile picture shows an older woman, as she answered questions about her order.

Angie Harmon.

Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Man who killed Angie Harmon’s dog said he ‘attacked’ it, but police found no visible injuries

However, attorneys claim it was Reid who arrived at Harmon’s property to deliver the groceries. The lawsuit alleges that “Reid was impersonating Merle on the Instacart app” and therefore Harmon “had no idea she was communicating” with Reid, who is described as a “tall and intimidating younger man.”

After Reid arrived, Harmon reportedly “heard what sounded like a gunshot” with her children in the yard. “Terrified for the safety of her children, Ms. Harmon immediately ran downstairs to determine the source of what she thought was a gunshot,” the lawsuit claims.

When she got outside, Harmon allegedly noticed that Reid was “putting the gun down the front of his pants, potentially in his pants pocket. Looking to the side, she saw that her beloved dog Oliver had been shot. Although shot, Oliver was still alive.”

Angie Harmon dog Oliver.

Angie Harmon/ Instagram

Angie Harmon shares ‘Don’t give up’ message after her dog was shot and killed by an Instacart driver

Then she took the animal to the veterinary office, where Oliver died. After the incident, police arrived and questioned Reid, but the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department closed the investigation before a necropsy or autopsy could be performed on the animal.

The lawsuit 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.

In April, Instacart shared a statement about the incident with PEOPLE, noting that they had suspended the customer from the platform and were cooperating with local law enforcement in their investigation. On May 14, the company issued a further statement: “Our hearts continue to be with Ms. Harmon and her family following this distressing incident,” it said. “While we cannot comment on pending litigation, we have no tolerance for violence of any kind, and the customer’s account has been permanently deactivated from our platform.”

According to their user agreement, Instacart prohibits any violence or aggression on its platform, including the carrying of weapons. They also prohibit fraud, including sharing account information and delegating purchases and delegating responsibility to someone who does not have an active and valid customer account. Only individuals who have a valid and active customer account may shop on their platform and must be the ones accepting and shipping to customers. There are several security measures in place to prevent fraud and ensure that only active and properly verified customers have access to the platform and use it properly.

PEOPLE has reached out to Reid for comment.

The lawsuit comes more than a month after Harmon shared on Instagram that Oliver was allegedly killed by an Instacart delivery driver.

Angie Harmon says an Instacart driver shot and killed her dog during a delivery

In a post filled with photos and video of the German shepherd-beagle mix, Harmon wrote that the driver “got out of his car, delivered the food and THEN shot [their] dog.”

“This Easter weekend an Instacart delivery man killed our dear Oliver,” she wrote. “Our ring camera was charging in the house, which he saw and then he knew he wasn’t being filmed.”

An Instacart representative said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time: “We were deeply saddened and disturbed to hear about this incident. We have zero tolerance for violence of any kind, and the customer’s account was immediately suspended from our platform. We contacted the customer directly and are cooperating with the police in their investigation.”

Harmon explained that authorities let the driver go “because he claimed ‘self-defense,'” adding, “He didn’t have a scratch or bite on him and his pants weren’t torn.”

According to a statement shared with PEOPLE, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department learned in their investigation that the driver arrived at the home and delivered the order. “The driver told officers the dog attacked him while inside the home and that he defended himself by firing one shot, striking and fatally wounding the dog. Another dog was present in the home but did not attack,” according to CMPD Public Affairs. CMPD’s Animal Care and Control also responded to the scene.

No criminal charges have been filed against the driver. Additionally, “CMPD is not seeking additional parties at this time.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Harmon added on Instagram: “We are completely traumatized and beyond devastated at the loss of our beloved boy and family member. #RIP OLLIE 🐶🐾🕊️🌈.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education