Deer fatally shot after wandering into downtown Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH -- A deer that wandered into downtown Pittsburgh has been shot and killed.

Public safety officials said reports began coming in at about 10:30 a.m. Sunday that a deer was seen running around downtown streets.

The city's animal care and control unit officers responded. Spokeswoman Sonya Toler said the deer was cornered in the vacant parking garage of the former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette building for about an hour.

Toler said officers attempted to reach several animal control rescues, including the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pittsburgh Zoo, but were unable to receive immediate assistance.

The animal care and control officers are not equipped with tranquilizers. Toler said only state officials have them.

Toler said police feared the deer would run onto a busy roadway. The animal was put down shortly before 12:30 p.m.

Perry Muse, who works at a parking lot across the street, told CBS Pittsburgh he felt the situation could have been handled better.

"I understand it could be a safety issue for people and stuff like that, but come on, that's why they make tranquilizing guns," he said. "Just tranquilize it, take it back out, let it go, no harm. I cannot believe that they actually killed the thing."