NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Police Department is investigating the shooting of a military veteran's service dog by an officer. New Orleans Police Department originally reported that the dog bit the officer before he shot it near the Fair Grounds last Thursday, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate said.
But the department backtracked a week later in an email to the newspaper, saying the initial statement about the bite was premature.
The officer who shot the dog never told investigators he was bitten by the animal, the department said.
The department's emailed statement said the officer contacted Clayton Crawford to express his remorse for the dog's death.
“My dog didn't attack the officer,” Crawford said. “She barked at him and rushed at him, that's it.”
The animal was assigned to Crawford for his post-traumatic stress disorder, he said.
The Public Integrity Bureau's Force Investigation Team is reviewing the use of force.
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