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Girlfriend charged with murder in off-duty officer's death

MEDIA, Pa. - The girlfriend of an off-duty police officer has been charged with shooting him to death inside his home after she originally contended it happened accidentally when she removed a gun from their dog's mouth, authorities said.

Tyaina Finch was charged with murder, aggravated assault and possessing instruments of crime in the death of Mark Hudson in Darby Township, near Philadelphia, on Saturday. Hudson had worked part-time for the Darby Borough Police Department for four years.

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 (Hudson)," he said.

Finch, who was held without bail, couldn't be reached for comment by telephone on Tuesday. The county public defender's office couldn't be reached for comment on her behalf.

Authorities allege in a criminal complaint that Finch, who's from Glenolden, at first said the shooting occurred accidentally: She saw their dog with a gun on the floor and took the gun from the dog's mouth, and as she turned toward Hudson the gun went off.

The following day, police allege, she told officers she fired the gun in self-defense after Hudson attacked her.

Authorities said a caller identifying herself as Finch on the day of the shooting told an ambulance dispatcher "we were playing and I didn't know that his gun was right there and it went off." Finch told a police officer arriving at the scene "it was an accident," the criminal complaint says.

Finch was arrested Monday on threat and assault charges stemming from a dispute last summer during which authorities allege she threatened Hudson with a knife.

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