CHICAGO -- Police are defending the fatal shooting of a cougar spotted on the North Side Monday night.

Images: Cougar Shot Video: Cougar Killed In Roscoe Village Video: Eyewitness Describes Incident

The animal was shot about 5:30 p.m. in the alley behind the 3400 block of North Hamilton Avenue, according to a Belmont District officer.

The officer confirmed an officer fatally shot the large cat.

"It's [cougar] dead," the officer said.

NBC5's Alex Perez reported that the police cornered the animal against a fence, and then the animal tried to attack them. Police said the cougar was 5 feet tall and weighed approximately 150 pounds.

"It doesn't look like it's a very thin cat," said Mark Rosenthal of Cook County Animal Care and Control. "It looks like it's got good flesh on it -- it was eating well."

One resident, Jim Reynolds, helped police locate the animal, Perez reported.

"I was amazed," Reynolds said. "I was like, 'Is this happening?'"

Reynolds added that he thought officers did what they had to do.

The entire scenario startled neighbors, Perez reported, and had people wondering what was going on.

"Unfortunately, we weren't able to get all of the citizens off the street in time," said Cmdr. John Kenney of the Chicago Police Department. "When the animal charged the officers, they had no choice but to defend themselves."

Neighborhood resident Ben Greene and his family were inside their home when they heard the gunfire, Perez reported.

"My wife ran up the stairs with a 3-year-old in her arms," Greene said. "Me giving the 10-month-old a bath;(semicolon) (we were) just getting the kids somewhere safe."

Reynolds said he was sad that the animal was killed but added the officers did what they had to do.

The cougar possibly is the same animal spotted in several northern suburbs in the past month.

According to Wilmette police, an animal believed to be a cougar was spotted in the 300 block of Third Street near the CTA’s Linden station on Sunday.

Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the animal.

The reports are similar to recent possible cougar sightings in North Chicago, where paw prints were found.

North Chicago police have teamed with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Lake County Forest Preserve officers to track and apprehend the animal.

Police remind residents not to approach the animal and immediately call 911.

Additional information provided by Sun-Times News Group