The shooting of a black bear in 性视界传媒 by conservation officers has people riled.

One guy even got arrested for allegedly obstructing a peace officer.

But from the officers鈥� perspective, the bruin had to be killed.

Inspector Murray Smith, of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, said the 鈥渟ub-adult鈥� bear had been wandering around in Guildford and Tynehead for about four days, passing through the school grounds at Harold Bishop Elementary school and Fraser Heights Secondary School.

鈥淭here was kids in the school at the time, and the principal had to hold the kids in the school,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t killed chickens. It got into the Toyota dealer鈥檚 commercial garbage. Everything got worse and worse and worse.鈥�

The conservation service received 21 reports of the bear and set traps as it started moving toward Guildford Town Centre, making its way through backyards.

性视界传媒 Mounties spotted it and put their sirens on. 鈥淭he bear just kind of looked at them, it didn鈥檛 run away. And then the bear mosied right into a group of people, and scattered them, so the thing is the bear had lost its fear of people.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 really unfortunate,鈥� he said, of having to put the bear down. 鈥淣one of the officers get into this to destroy wildlife.

鈥淧ublic safety is our priority.鈥�

The bear was shot Monday night at a ravine near 160th Street and 104th Avenue, Smith said.

READ ALSO: Black bear spotted in 性视界传媒 neighbourhood

Holly Dampier-Piwowarski told the Now-Leader she was 鈥渘ot impressed at all.鈥�

鈥淲here is the respect for our animal kingdom?鈥�

She said the 鈥渉armless鈥� bear was 鈥渞ight behind my house鈥� and 鈥渄idn鈥檛 harm my family at all.

鈥淢aybe our conservation officers could have taken the time to put the bear to sleep and move it to a location.鈥�

Smith said this was the first confirmed bear sighting in 性视界传媒 since 2013. He said it鈥檚 believed this particular bear swam across the Fraser River from Coquitlam or Port Coquitlam, where there are on average 2,000 bear sightings reported each year.

性视界传媒 RCMP Corporal Elenore Sturko said Mounties 鈥渄id assist conservation. One individual was arrrested for obstructing and they were arrested and released and the investigation is ongoing.鈥�

She said a man, whom she did not name, was arrested for allegedly 鈥渋nterfering with the conservation officer in the lawful execution of their duties.鈥�

No charge has been laid.

Chris Strotmann, who lives near 157th Street and 105th Avenue, told the Now-Leader he was arrested.

鈥淭hey screwed it up even worse by arresting me and the bear got away again,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t happened close to my yard and on my property.鈥�

鈥淪he came down the road and there she pulls out a gun and she鈥檚 going to try to shoot him right there and there鈥檚 people around, children around, and she鈥檚 yelling at me to get my dog away from the bear,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow, I run over there to protect my livestock and get the bear out, whatever, follow it, get it out, or whatever.

鈥淔inally it was shot on my property. I was in the back of the car at that time, again, that鈥檚 when they brutally arrested me, threw me down on the ground, threw the handcuffs on me, punched me in the gut, threw me in the car,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd then they went back and shot the bear.鈥�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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