The girlfriend of an off-duty cop has been charged with murder after claiming he had been shot when the gun accidentally discharged as she tried to remove it from her dog’s mouth.
Tyaina Finch was charged with murder and aggravated assault in the death of Mark Hudson in Darby Township, near Philadelphia, at the weekend.
District Attorney Jack Whelan said Finch’s statements to police had been “inconsistent”.
He described the couple’s relationship as “tumultuous” and said officers had been called to the home before for domestic disturbances.
“We believe she acted on this particular day with specific intent to kill,” he said.
According to authorities, Finch initially said she saw their dog with a gun on the floor and took the gun from the dog’s mouth, and as she turned toward Mr Hudson the gun went off.
She then changed her version to say she had the gun in self-defence after Mr Hudson attacked her, police say.
Mr Hudson had worked part-time for the Darby Borough Police Department for four years.
