“They got out, and the police did what they had to do,” said
Paolone, a paving company worker who was at work during the commotion and
was prevented for a time from returning to his house while police
investigated afterward.
Mr Paolone, who keeps 12 horses on his 3-acre property, said he knew the
chimps lived behind a home on his street for several years. He said he never
saw them loose and he never felt threatened.
Officer Martin said police were called at 10.13am and officers saw the two
chimps ambling through the neighbourhood, pounding on cars and climbing at
one point into the driver side of an empty black sport utility vehicle and
then out the passenger side. A trainer offered the animals food and tried to
lure them back into captivity.
Police warned residents through Twitter not to leave their vehicles or homes
and to avoid the area where the “dangerous” primates were roaming
free. Officer Martin said at least one police car was dented by the animals
pounding on it.
A woman called police saying a large chimpanzee was on top of her car, Officer
Martin said. She told dispatchers she had her windows rolled up and doors
locked.
Officer Martin said police officers tried to corral the animals to await
animal control officials, but the male chimp turned toward the gathering
crowd. A veteran officer with a shotgun killed it a little before 10.45am.
The officer’s name wasn’t immediately made public.
Mr Plunkett said he heard three shots. Helicopter video showed the animal
lying face down in the middle of a road, surrounded by animal control trucks
and police cars.
“We have an exotic animals policy. It’s to treat them as humanely as we
can,” Officer Martin said. “But immediately you recall the woman
who has no face because of a chimp. The officer knew they were dangerous
animals and he was the last line of defence with citizens behind him.”
Officer Martin referred to a 2009 attack on a woman who was permanently
blinded and when her nose, lips, eyelids and hands were mauled by a chimp
before police killed the animal outside a home in Stamford, Connecticut.
Two adult chimpanzees also attacked a US. student last month after he entered
their enclosure at a primate sanctuary in South Africa.
Source: agencies
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