"They got out, and the police did what they had to do," said Paolone, a paving company worker who was at work during the commotion and was prevented for a time from returning to his house while police investigated afterward.
Mr Paolone, who keeps 12 horses on his 3-acre property, said he knew the chimps lived behind a home on his street for several years. He said he never saw them loose and he never felt threatened.
Officer Martin said police were called at 10.13am and officers saw the two chimps ambling through the neighbourhood, pounding on cars and climbing at one point into the driver side of an empty black sport utility vehicle and then out the passenger side. A trainer offered the animals food and tried to lure them back into captivity.
Police warned residents through Twitter not to leave their vehicles or homes and to avoid the area where the "dangerous" primates were roaming free. Officer Martin said at least one police car was dented by the animals pounding on it.
A woman called police saying a large chimpanzee was on top of her car, Officer Martin said. She told dispatchers she had her windows rolled up and doors locked.
Officer Martin said police officers tried to corral the animals to await animal control officials, but the male chimp turned toward the gathering crowd. A veteran officer with a shotgun killed it a little before 10.45am. The officer's name wasn't immediately made public.
Mr Plunkett said he heard three shots. Helicopter video showed the animal lying face down in the middle of a road, surrounded by animal control trucks and police cars.
"We have an exotic animals policy. It's to treat them as humanely as we can," Officer Martin said. "But immediately you recall the woman who has no face because of a chimp. The officer knew they were dangerous animals and he was the last line of defence with citizens behind him."
Officer Martin referred to a 2009 attack on a woman who was permanently blinded and when her nose, lips, eyelids and hands were mauled by a chimp before police killed the animal outside a home in Stamford, Connecticut.
Two adult chimpanzees also attacked a US. student last month after he entered their enclosure at a primate sanctuary in South Africa.
Source: agencies
