Army Vet Says Officer Kicked Him, Service Dog Off Wildwood Boardwalk

WILDWOOD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A U.S. Army veteran who was seriously wounded after serving multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan claims he was kicked off a Jersey Shore boardwalk.

Jared Goering and his wife were walking in Wildwood last Thursday when he said a police officer asked them to leave because of his service dog, Navigator.

The officer told the couple that Wildwood only allows guide dogs for the blind on the boardwalk, Goering said.

Goering suffered a traumatic brain injury overseas and the 3-year-old service dog, called "Gator" for short, helps him walk and go up and down stairs.

Goering said he tried to explain to the officer that the Americans With Disabilities Act allows the dog to go everywhere he does, but the officer wouldn't listen.

"I respect cops, I respect what they do. I know they don't have an easy job. But my job for 20 years was to defend the country. I got shot at on a daily basis and then blown up. You know? Yeah, it hurts," Goering said.

Wildwood's police chief said there's more to the story, but he would not elaborate.

A court summons for Goering was later dismissed.

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