Bear killed in Connecticut and the shooter claims self defense, a year after a law was passed

2024-12-25 10:51:28 source:lotradecoin upcoming token launches category:Contact

CANTON, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut police were investigating the killing of a 450-pound, adult male black bear on Monday morning and claims by the shooter that it was done in self-defense.

The bear was killed after “reportedly feeding at an unsecured dumpster” in Canton, a community of about 10,000 people and about 13 miles (21 kilometers) northwest of Hartford, said Paul Copleman, a spokesperson for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. DEEP’s Environmental and Conservation Police officers is conducting the investigation.

The shooting comes a year after the General Assembly passed legislation that explicitly allows someone to use deadly force to kill a bear in Connecticut if they reasonably believe it’s inflicting or about to inflict great bodily harm to a person, a pet or is entering an occupied building.

Some state legislators, concerned about the increase in human and bear interactions in Connecticut, had hoped the legislation would have gone further and included a bear hunt and restrictions on people unintentionally feeding the hungry animals.

Copleman said the conservation police are looking into whether this marks the first time someone has claimed self-defense in killing a bear since the law was enacted.

READ MORE Woman sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for conspiring to murder Connecticut mom Republican AGs ask Supreme Court to block climate change lawsuits brought by several states Court overturns suspension of Alex Jones’ lawyer in Sandy Hook case that led to $1.4B judgment

In recent years, bears have been spotted throughout Connecticut. In 2023, bears were reported in 165 of the state’s 169 cities and towns.

There were more than 200 bear sightings last year in Canton. During a live news report on Monday evening by WFSB-TV about the shooting, another black bear showed to check out the same row of dumpsters before returning to the woods.

More:Contact

Recommend

'The Voice' Season 26 finale: Coach Michael Bublé scores victory with Sofronio Vasquez

"The Voice" crowned Team Bublé singer Sofronio Vasquez as the Season 26 winner.The season finale ai

Judge orders psychological evaluation for white homeowner who shot Ralph Yarl

A judge has ordered a mental evaluation and delayed the trial of an 85-year-old white man who shot R

Bruce Springsteen’s Wife Patti Scialfa Shares Blood Cancer Diagnosis

Patti Scialfa is giving a heartbreaking health update. The E Street Band member and wife of Bruce Sp