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HAZLETON — Police said they had to shoot and kill a dog when they responded to an incident earlier today.

At 2:40 p.m., police responded to the area of 3rd and Alter streets for a report of a man yelling and screaming at passing cars, as well as talking to himself. Police arrived to find Colin Dufallo, 33, who allegedly had a pitbull with him.

Police allege that Dufallo became aggressive toward officers when they tried to take him into custody, and that the dog also became aggressive.

Police said that backup units arrived and used their tasers to scare the dog off. Police said the dog was successfully tased, but allege that it immediately charged at officers and forced them to use their firearms to protect themselves from attack.

Police said the dog died from its injuries and was removed from the scene. No civilians or officers were injured.

“Officers have a split second to make a decision in protecting themselves or the public,” said Hazleton police chief Jerry Speziale in a news release. “Based on the circumstances in his situation, the officers had to remove the threat as they are trained.”

The police report did not indicate if Dufallo would face any charges.

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By Travis Kellar

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Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews