“Rizolli & Isles” actress Angie Harmon is mourning the loss of her dog, Oliver, after he was fatally shot on March 30 by an Instacart driver who was delivering food to her Charlotte, North Carolina home.
Ms. Harmon, 51, recounted the harrowing ordeal in an Instagram post shared on April 1.
“This Easter weekend a man delivering groceries for Instacart shot & killed our precious Oliver. He got out of his car, delivered the food & THEN shot our dog. Our ring camera was charging in the house, which he saw & then knew he wasn’t being recorded,” she captioned alongside a carousel of photos and a video of Oliver.
“He was shopping under a woman’s identity named Merle,” alleged Ms. Harmon, who published a screenshot of her Instacart order delivery summary to her Instagram stories.
The model, who shares three daughters—Finley, 20; Avery, 18; and Emery, 15—with her ex-husband, former professional football player Jason Sehorn, said her children were with her at the time of the incident.
“He shot our dog with my daughters & myself at home & just kept saying, ‘yeah, I shot your dog. Yeah I did,’” she wrote.
The “Law & Order” star said the police let the Instacart driver go because he claimed self-defense. However, Ms. Harmon indicated that she did not see any visible scratches or bite marks on the alleged shooter, “nor were his pants torn,” she wrote.
A spokesperson for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) told The Epoch Times via email that officers located and spoke to all involved parties when they arrived at the scene.
“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,” the spokesperson detailed.
“No criminal charges have been filed in relation to this incident, and CMPD is not currently seeking any additional parties,” the rep continued, noting that CMPD’s Animal Care and Control also responded to the scene.
Ms. Harmon concluded her Instagram post, writing: “We are completely traumatized & beyond devastated at the loss of our beloved boy & family member.”
‘Your Actions Are Despicable’
Hours after sharing her order delivery summary, Ms. Harmon reposted an Instagram story originally shared by her eldest daughter.
“To the man who took Ollie away from us: your actions are despicable and inexcusable,” she wrote beside pictures of the apparent German shepherd and beagle mix.
“You’ve not only robbed us of a beloved member of our family but you’ve also traumatized us beyond measure,” she continued. “The fact that someone could commit such a heartless act is beyond comprehension to me and I’m devastated that I didn’t get to say goodbye to him.”
In a December interview with People, Ms. Harmon shared that her family also has several cats, a Catahoula Leopard dog and Great Dane mix, and a “Chug”—a small mixed-breed dog that features the characteristics of a Chihuahua and a pug.
Last fall, Ms. Harmon added to her many rescues by taking in a baby squirrel that her youngest daughter found on the sidewalk. After their attempts to return the newborn to its mother proved unsuccessful, they later brought the furry rodent home, naming him Thomas.
“He’s my baby. I love him so much,” the actress told the publication.
Instacart’s Vetting Process
According to Instacart, the grocery delivery service currently has more than 600,000 independent contractors working as “full-service shoppers.”
The company’s website lists only five requirements for those looking to become a shopper: The individual must be at least 18 years of age, be eligible to work in the United States, have a bank account, have reliable access to a vehicle and a smartphone for deliveries, and be able to lift at least 40 pounds.
To sign up, a prospective shopper must create an account with Instacart and set up the account in the app, which entails uploading pictures of the person’s driver’s license and inputting bank account details. Once the account is approved, shoppers will start seeing orders in the app and can begin making deliveries.
In addition to outlining its commitment “to diversity and providing equal opportunities for independent contractors,” Instacart indicates that it “values providing prospective contractors with a fair chance to pursue opportunities and encourages applicants with arrest and conviction records to apply.”
The Epoch Times reached out to Instacart for comment, but a response was not received at the time of publication.
From The Epoch Times
