ALLENTOWN, Pa.—Prosecutors say an eastern Pennsylvania man charged with killing a police officer last summer should not be allowed to claim self-defense

The Morning Call newspaper in Allentown reported Thursday (http://bit.ly/J0IBey) that prosecutors filed that request in case George Hitcho Jr.'s attorneys decide to pursue a charge of manslaughter.

The 46-year-old Freemansburg man faces a capital-murder charge in the Aug. 11 shotgun death of police officer Robert Lasso.

Police said Lasso was responding to a disturbance call at Hitcho's house. They say Lasso was being attacked by Hitcho's dogs and was moving to use his stun gun when Hitcho opened fire.

Hitcho's defense attorneys have said they may use a defense of insanity or diminished mental capacity to spare their client the death penalty if he is convicted.