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Prosecutor: NJ Police Shooting Of Pit Bull Appears Justified

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Authorities in northern New Jersey say a police officer fatally shot a pit bull after the dog's owner released it and the animal charged at the officer.

Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio tells The Jersey Journal of Jersey City that the shooting appears to be justified. But a further review will be conducted, which is standard procedure when an officer fires his weapon.

The officer was unhurt in the incident, which occurred around 2:45 a.m. Sunday on Cambridge Avenue. He had responded to the area to investigate a reported disturbance.

The dog's owner, 25-year-old John Kelly of Jersey City, was charged with assault on a police officer and weapons offenses. It wasn't known if he had retained a lawyer, and a telephone number for Kelly could not be located Sunday.

Does it sound like the officer was justified in the shooting? Sound off in our comments section below…

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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