Georgia man cleaning gun shoots himself, dog

A Georgia man accidentally shot himself and his dog while he was cleaning his gun and talking on the phone.

Todd A. Crouse, 44, of Clyo, was at his home in Clyo, Ga., on March 22 when the accident occurred, according to reporting from the Savannah Morning News.

Crouse said he “unknowingly reloaded the gun” while he was he was reassembling it, according to the Effingham County Sheriff’s Department. Then he told officers that he pulled the slide back, but he still had his finger on the trigger, accidentally firing the gun, the report says.

Crouse told officers he was putting the weapon down when it fired. The bullet struck his upper thigh, traveled through his left leg, and then hit his dog, according to the report.

Crouse was treated at the hospital while his wife, who was sleeping at the time, took the dog to the veterinarian to be treated.

The Savannah Morning News reports that Ryan Williams, the Effingham County Sheriff’s deputy on the case, said he smelled “a faint odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from Todd’s person while speaking with him” and no charges were filed.

Clyo is located roughly 25 miles northwest of Hardeeville.

This story was originally published April 9, 2016 at 12:03 AM with the headline "Georgia man cleaning gun shoots himself, dog."