Posted 7/27/2008 12:34:00 PM by Douglas

You can't make this shit up:

A University of Texas police officer who shot and killed a research animal in March was warned to stay in his car before firing 10 rounds and killing Tony the chimp, according to newly released documents.

In reports obtained by the Austin American-Statesman, UT police officer Paul Maslyk drove his personal car to the Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research when a 140-pound, 17 1/2 -year-old chimpanzee broke out in March.

Tony escaped from a jungle gym area by jumping more than 15 feet and grabbing the top of a corral wall. Attendants at the center tried to subdue the animal by firing tranquilizers at it, but Tony snatched the gun and broke it, according to a police report. That's when the animal began to flail its arms and approach Maslyk, police said.

Fearing for his safety, the officer twice shouted "I'm gonna shoot" as the animal approached. He fired while backing away, lost his footing and shot some more as the animal passed by him, police said in their report.

I'm thinking that a monkey with a tranquilizer gun is a hell of a lot more of a threat than two guys robbing your neighbor's house.