An everyday chore got a little more interesting for Chris Hershey on Sunday night.

“I propped the door open to take the trash out, on the way back I saw [what I thought was] a dog,” the Penn State senior said.

Unsure of what to do next, Hershey and his roommates called their landlord who soon after notified police.

Police arrived on the scene of 511 Clay Lane (2 blocks west of Atherton St) about an hour after the initial call was placed. The delay, witness Alex Braunbeck says, was due to the fact that the landlord initially explained that a wild dog — not a coyote — had entered the apartment. Once the landlord called a second a time and insisted that the animal could possibly be a coyote, police quickly changed their level of apathy, according to Braunbeck.

After a State College police officer reported to the scene, she identified the animal as a coyote, called for backup assistance, and ordered the residents back into their rooms.

Shortly thereafter, two more officers arrived — one armed with .22 long rifle, according to various witnesses. The officer then proceeded to kill the injured coyote (video below).

Per the two witnesses, the officers told Braunbeck and Hershey that they would take the coyote to Penn State for testing.

With the impending fury of Hurricane Sandy, changes in the air pressure alert animals that a bad storm is coming. Animals are more highly tuned to these slight fluctuations in barometric and hydrostatic pressure than humans, and any changes in the air triggers the animals’ survival mechanism. This causes animals to seek shelter and escape from bad storms, which is likely what this unsuspecting coyote was trying to do.

In memoriam, Hershey and his roommates are holding a potluck tonight to celebrate the life of their short-lived friend, which they have affectionately named Sandy.