As the Connecticut bear population surges in recent years, a controversy is brewing over whether the state must allow bear hunters to cull the animals’ numbers.
Now, State legislators in Connecticut demand an explanation after a local father is arrested and charged with killing a bear in defense of his family.
Independent reported:
“Todd Topicz, 39, of Bethlehem in Litchfield County, told local broadcaster WFSB earlier this month that he believed he had to act when a black bear entered his garage, raided his trash, came “within feet” of his two children, and was then chased up a tree by his dog. Topicz said he fired five warning shots at the bear and chased it off into the woods, only to realize afterwards that he had accidentally hit and killed it.”
But CT’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) charged Topicz with an illegal taking of a bear, sending him to mandatory rehabilitation program to dismiss the count.
“’We were all threatened. It entered our home. And I have no idea why DEEP ended up charging me for this’, the U.S. Army veteran told WFSB.”
Some Republican state Senators requested to know why DEEP was refusing to comment on the case.
“’A public statement from DEEP regarding this public safety matter would help resolve confusion and enable us to better communicate with our constituents’, they wrote. A spokesperson for DEEP told The Independent that it could not comment on Topicz’s case because a court has ordered that its record be sealed.”
“Topicz, who moved to Connecticut from Florida about a year ago, said the incident occurred last August when he was taking an evening nap after coming home from work and suddenly heard his wife yelling. Grabbing his pistol, he found that a black bear had wandered into the family’s garage while his 3-year-old daughter and 10-year-old stepson were playing there.”
While his wife grabbed the kids, the bear was chased up a tree by his Belgian Shepherd dog.
“Topicz then tried to scare the bear off with warning shots, eventually causing it to climb down and run off into the forest. A neighbor heard the noise and called the police, who arrested Topicz on charges of negligent discharge of a firearm and breach of the peace.”
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