Deputies Kill Aggressive Bear In South Lake Tahoe Neighborhood
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE (CBS13) – Authorities say they were forced to neutralize a bear that wouldn't leave a neighborhood.
The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office says deputies were called to the area of Minniconjou and Susquehana Drives on Wednesday after a report of an aggressive bear.
Once at the scene, deputies say they identified the bear as one that had been causing problems in the neighborhood for the past few weeks. Authorities say the 700-800 pound bear had been breaking into multiple residences.
Deputies tried to get the bear to leave by making loud noises, then shooting bean bag rounds. However, deputies say the bear would not leave.
The bear then reportedly made an aggressive move towards the deputies, forcing them to use lethal force against the animal.
"The Sheriff's Office attempts to take every measure possible to resolve bear incident cases at the lowest level," Lt. Bryan Golmitz wrote in a press release. "However, when personal safety is in jeopardy, deputies must protect life and maintain safety."
Fish and Wildlife officials had been in contact with the deputies throughout the incident.
The sheriff's department says they've responded to 177 bear-related calls over the past year – including 23 in the same neighborhood as Wednesday's incident. All other calls had been handled without the use of lethal force.
