Police say a bulletproof vest saved a police officer running away from a suspected rabid fox in a Hudson Valley village after he accidentally shot himself in the chest.

Authorities say 24-year-old Ellenville police officer Harold Nunuvero was struck while responding to a report Tuesday morning about the fox in the village.

Village police Chief Philip Mattracion says the animal charged at Nunuvero and he tried to jump over a nearby fence. But his foot got caught and he flipped over. Nunuvero�s gun went off as he landed and struck his bulletproof vest.

Another officer shot and killed the fox while Nunuvero was on the ground.

Nunuvero was later taken to a hospital for treatment and released.

Mattracion says the officer�s bulletproof vest �without question� saved his life.

(AP)