Memphis man claims his dog shot him

Updated March 14, 2025, 2:41 p.m. | By East Coast Breakfast / Skyye Ndlovu

Betrayed by man's best friend? A Memphis man claims his dog shot him while he slept.

We’ve all heard that dogs are man’s best friend, but one Memphis man might be reconsidering that title after an unfortunate (and slightly unbelievable) incident involving his beloved pit bull, Oreo.

According to police, Jerald Kirkwood was lying in bed early Monday morning (4 am to be exact) when his one-year-old pup allegedly decided to play assassin.

Kirkwood told officers that Oreo jumped onto the bed, somehow got his paw tangled in the trigger guard of a gun, and – boom – shot his owner in the thigh.

Yes, you read that correctly. The dog pulled the trigger.

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To make matters even weirder, Kirkwood wasn’t alone. His female companion (who remains nameless, perhaps for legal or emotional reasons) was in bed with him when the whole thing went down.

What did she do? Well, she swiftly left the scene… with the gun. Suspicious much?

Kirkwood was taken to Regional One in non-critical condition, meaning he’ll live to tell the tale.

Although explaining to the ER staff that his dog shot him must have been an entire experience in itself.

Meanwhile, a friend of Kirkwood insists Oreo is a sweet, friendly dog and that this was all just a “freak accident”.

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A local reporter later visited the house but found only Oreo at home. No sign of Kirkwood. Perhaps he’s reconsidering their friendship, or installing a dog-proof gun safe.

Was it truly an accident though, or is Oreo trying to tell us something?

Either way, let this be a reminder to keep your guns out of paw’s reach.