http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/588499

Chimp, 15, goes berserk, shot by police
VIDEO: Police shoot chimp after attack on woman
Travis the chimp was a TV performer in younger years and cruised town in
his owners' truck before attacking a woman Feb. 16, 2009. The pet was
killed by police after it opened a cruiser door to go after an officer
trapped inside.

'Raised like child,' owner stabs pet as it mauls visiting woman
Feb 17, 2009 04:30 AM
ASSOCIATED PRESS

HARTFORD, Conn. -- A 200-pound chimpanzee raised as a pet and once used
in commercials was shot and killed by police yesterday after it mauled a
woman visiting its owner and later cornered an officer in his cruiser,
authorities said.

Police Lieut. Richard Conklin said the injured woman, who wasn't
identified, was in "very serious" condition in hospital. He said she
suffered "a tremendous loss of blood" from facial injuries.

Police said they had no idea why the 15-year-old chimpanzee, named
Travis, attacked the woman as she got out of her car to visit the
animal's owner, Sandra Herold, in Stamford, Conn. Herold wrestled with
the animal, then called 911.

"She retrieved a large butcher knife and stabbed her long-time pet
numerous times in an effort to save her friend, who was really being
brutally attacked," Conklin said.

Travis ran away and started roaming on Herold's property as police
arrived. Officers set up security so medics could reach the critically
injured woman lying on the ground, Conklin said.

As the woman was treated, the chimpanzee went after several of the
officers, who retreated into their cars, Conklin said. Travis opened the
door to one cruiser and started to get in, trapping an officer who then
shot the chimpanzee several times, Conklin said.

The wounded chimpanzee fled. Conklin said police followed a blood trail
down the driveway and into the open door of the home, through the house
and to the pet's living quarters, where it had retreated and died of its
wounds.

Well-known locally because he rode around in trucks belonging to his
owners' towing company, Travis did TV commercials for Old Navy and
Coca-Cola when he was younger, and appeared on the Maury Povich Show and
in a television pilot, according to a 2003 story in The Advocate of
Stamford.

"He's been raised almost like a child by this family," Conklin said
yesterday. "He rides in a car every day, he opens doors, he's a very
unique animal in that aspect. We have no indication of what provoked
this behaviour.''

He said the chimp has Lyme disease, "so maybe from the medications he
was out of sorts."

Police dealt with the animal in 2003 when it escaped from the owners'
vehicle for two hours. Officers used cookies and ice cream as bait, but
subdued the pet only after it became too tired to resist.

At the time, the Herolds said the chimp was toilet trained, "dressed
himself, took his own bath," ate at the table and logged onto the
computer to look at pictures.