A Tennessee man claims that his dog accidentally shot him while he was in bed with a female friend. The strange incident occurred early Monday morning in Memphis, according to a police report.
Jerald Kirkwood told officers that he was in bed “relaxing and talking” with a woman at his Whitney Avenue home when his one-year-old pit bull, Oreo, jumped on the bed. That’s when, he claims, the dog’s paw became stuck in the trigger guard of a gun, causing it to fire.
The bullet struck Kirkwood’s left thigh. Paramedics treated him on the scene for a graze wound before transporting him to Regional One Hospital for further evaluation.
Police Report Raises Questions
Memphis police responded to Kirkwood’s home shortly before 4 a.m. after receiving a call about an accidental injury. According to the official report, Kirkwood informed officers that his female companion had left the scene with the firearm following the shooting.
Investigators have yet to identify the woman or recover the gun. A friend of Kirkwood defended the story, telling WREG News: “It was a freak incident. The dog jumped up, causing the gun to discharge.” He also described Oreo as a friendly dog, assuring Kirkwood that everything was fine.
This is not the first instance of a dog allegedly firing a weapon. In 2023, a dog fatally shot a Kansas man by stepping on a rifle in the car’s back seat. Similar incidents have occurred in Iowa and New Mexico, raising concerns about unattended firearms near pets.
Authorities have not announced whether Kirkwood will face any charges for firearm safety or negligence.
