Angie Harmon has taken legal action against a deliveryman and the company he worked for, Instacart, following a tragic incident in which her dog was fatally shot. The event occurred in April on Harmon’s property in North Carolina, sparking significant controversy and leading to a lawsuit over the alleged negligence involved.
The incident unfolded when Harmon, expecting a delivery, communicated through the Instacart app with someone she believed to be a woman named “Merle.” However, the lawsuit claims that it was actually the deliveryman, Christopher Anthony Reid, who was impersonating Merle. When Reid arrived at Harmon’s residence to deliver the items, a distressing scene ensued. Harmon heard a gunshot and rushed outside to find her dog, Oliver, had been shot and was severely injured. Reid was allegedly seen placing a gun into his front pant pocket at the scene.
Despite Harmon’s immediate efforts to save her pet by rushing him to the vet, Oliver succumbed to his injuries. The local police questioned Reid but eventually closed the case without further action, and no necropsy was conducted to formally determine Oliver’s cause of death.
In her lawsuit, Harmon asserts that Reid was not under any threat that justified the use of a firearm and had the opportunity to leave her property unharmed. She accuses Reid of trespassing and unlawfully using a firearm, as she claims he had no right to be armed on her property or to shoot her dog. The lawsuit extends beyond Reid, implicating Instacart in several claims including trespassing, conversion, negligence, negligent hiring, invasion of privacy, and infliction of emotional distress, among others. Harmon is seeking damages exceeding $25,000.
The case highlights significant issues related to service delivery operations, including the safety measures and vetting processes companies like Instacart employ. Following the incident, Instacart reportedly removed Reid from their platform, though they have not yet responded to inquiries regarding the lawsuit. Harmon’s legal action underscores the emotional and legal complexities arising from such incidents, setting a precedent for how delivery services manage and monitor their personnel to prevent future occurrences of this nature.
