Maryland National Capital Park Police have released body camera video that shows at least five officers taking down a suspected rabid coyote in Montgomery County last week.
Police said two women were attacked by the coyote hours apart. One of them stabbed the coyote with a knife as she got away uninjured, and another was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
In the video, police can be heard shooting the coyote, which they found in the woods on a dirt trail off of Dustin Road in Burtonsville, Maryland, during their search.
In the video, an officer speaks in disbelief as they approach it.
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“Dude, what is that?” one officer said as they heard screeching noises.
“Is that the coyote?” an officer asked.
“Oh … you are right, it's right there,” another officer said after locating the animal.
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Police then signaled to people to get out of the way as they prepared to shoot the animal. One shot was fired.
As the officers moved in for a closer look, an officer confirmed it was dead.
Then, an officer fired another shot.
“Now it is,” the officer added.
The coyote was tested and found to have rabies. Left untreated, rabies in humans can be fatal.
Police said coyotes have had a presence in Montgomery County since the 1980s.
