Veteran 'Wailing' After Cop Shoots Service Dog

A military veteran says he's been "crying and wailing" since a cop shot his service dog—an incident New Orleans police initially misreported. The dog's owner, Clayton Crawford, says it happened last Thursday after he let his doberman out to use the bathroom in a backyard that's not fully fenced in, WDSU reports. Crawford says the dog, Hilo, got onto the street, where the officer opened fire. Police initially said Hilo had bitten the officer, but then backtracked, admitting its media report was "premature": "At no time did the officer involved in this incident report to investigators that he was bitten by the animal, nor was the officer actually bitten," the NOPD said in a statement.

So what happened? Crawford, who wonders why the officer didn't use a Taser, tells the Times-Picayune that "my dog didn't attack the officer. She barked at him and rushed at him—that's it." Crawford also says he's bipolar and desperately misses Hilo's help. "It's been just spasms of crying and wailing since it all happened," he explains. "All I have left of her is her toys and blanket she was laying on and laying with me every night. I'm still crying over it, seeking her comfort. The trauma is just so big." New Orleans police says it's still investigating. (More police shooting stories.)