Police Kill Black Bear After It Charges Deputy At Colorado Apartments

Eagle-Vail, Colorado – Police killed a black bear after the animal charged a deputy during an encounter at the River Run apartments.

About 40 adults and children had gathered to film a black-bear sow and her two cubs as Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers were on the way. A deputy repeatedly ordered the crowd to go inside, warning that bears are dangerous and not animals to be messed with.

Deputies decided to haze the bears toward the river, first using shouting. The sow then charged, prompting deputies to fire non-lethal rounds at her hind legs to push her away from the apartments.

After the crowd was cleared, the sow was struck with a rubber shotgun round. She spun and paced before charging a deputy as he moved behind a boulder.

The deputy switched to his duty handgun and fired several shots, killing the bear in self-defense.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife arrived at about 8:50 p.m. and took the two cubs to a rehabilitation center in Silt.

The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office said it was “heartbroken that a bear was killed in self-defense.”