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Video shows officer shooting, killing possum

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. — A local police chief said his officer followed department policy on rabid animals when he repeatedly shot a possum on a busy street.

A FOX25 viewer captured the shooting on a cell phone and expressed concerns the officer might have endangered public safety by firing a weapon in the middle of traffic.

"I'd like to say that our officers have enough common sense to know that if they're going to discharge a weapon, they're going do it in a safe direction," said Acting Northborough Chief William Lyver.

The video shows the possum was clearly in distress when the officer pulled up to the call.

The officer can also be seen repeatedly firing several shots into the body of the possum, which some residents told FOX25 seemed extreme.

"Yes, I know that a possum is not a pet, but it's pretty shocking to see in that sense," said Erika Casaigne. "I wouldn't like children driving by to see that.

Chief Lyver said his officer pulled his cruiser between the possum and the public, and used a special rifle designated for putting down animals.

The rifle has smaller, specially designed bullets that disintegrate upon impact, minimizing any risk of ricochet.

"I think the greater threat to public safety is an animal that may have rabies, that's obviously acting in an odd manner," Chief Lyver told FOX25.

Chief Lyver also said his officer fired multiple shots into the torso of the possum because they are instructed by the state to preserve the animal's brain for rabies testing.

"One shot with a .22 is not usually enough [to be fatal], and the last thing we want to do is shoot the thing and have an animal suffer even longer from a greater wound," Chief Lyver said.