HASTINGS — A coyote was put down Friday night after a city resident wounded it with a handgun.

At about 9 p.m. Friday a 51-year-old Hastings man shot a coyote in the 1700 block of West Apache Avenue, Hastings Police Sgt. Mark Hinrichs said.

Hinrichs said according to the report, the coyote was near the backyard fence of the man’s house, taunting his dogs. The man shot and wounded the coyote, causing it to run from the scene.

He said he’s not aware of other people being around during the incident, other than the neighbor. Hastings Police tracked the coyote and put it down.

Hastings has had many sightings of coyotes in town for the past few weeks. On Tuesday night, a 1-year-old boy was bitten by a coyote in the 500 block of South Boston Avenue, near the Adams County Fairgrounds. The boy was taken to get a tetanus shot and a series of rabies shots, but will be fine. The coyote from Friday’s incident was shot two and a half miles away from the bite incident, not far from the Hastings Municipal Airport.

It’s illegal to discharge a firearm in city limits. However, Hinrichs said a decision was made to not charge the man who shot the coyote Friday at this time.

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