Police put down fox suspected to be rabid in Leicester

The Leicester Police Department put down a fox Friday that they believed to be rabid.

A resident reported the fox near Memorial School Friday at approximately 6:30 a.m.

LPD officers located the fox which appeared to be ill and in distress.

The fox was put down by an officer and has been turned over to the Leicester Animal Control officer so that it can be sent out for testing.

The LPD believes this was likely the fox involved in incidents Thursday, when two people were supposedly attacked.

Police said due to the behavior of the fox, it was believed to be rabid. 

Dennis Cooney, 67 of Leicester, said the fox attacked him Thursday morning.

He said he used a move he learned in Vietnam to kick the fox away.

"I laid on my left side and swept him, kicked him like this, I caught him, one shot to the jaw, flipped over a few times, got up, started hissing," Cooney said.

Police said the fox also bit a woman down the street while she was working outside washing windows.

The fox came up behind her and bit her once if not multiple times, police said.

That woman received rabies shots.

While they believe this was likely the animal from Thursday’s incidents, the LPD is still encouraging residents to be cautious when they are outside for the next several days.

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