Posted on 09/03/2015 9:39:31 AM PDT by nickcarraway
man who shot and killed a bear in his Fort Collins backyard is expected to face charges.
The shooting happened last week in the Fossil Creek Meadows neighborhood. The man says he was trying to protect his dog from the bear. It’s illegal to kill wildlife, even if a pet is in danger.
The fact that he fired a weapon in a neighborhood with others nearby is what investigators with Colorado Parks and Wildlife say accounts for the third charge he faces, alleging the man was careless in his actions.
CBS4’s Lauren DiSpirito spoke with some people who see the situation differently.
“I think it’s kind of funny that you can protect your car but you can’t protect your pet,” Dennis Highman of Fort Collins said. “They might need to rewrite that one.”
Under Colorado law, Parks and Wildlife says residents are protected if they shoot and kill a bear to protect themselves, their home, car or livestock; but not if a bear is attacking a dog.
“I really love my dog, and if a bear was attacking it I’d probably do the same thing,” another Fort Collins resident said.
Word of the charges surprised people on Worthington Avenue who saw a different bear sleeping in a neighborhood tree nearly all day Saturday.
Andrew Richards, who is identified in police records CBS4 obtained, told police he shot the bear one time with a rifle. After looking into the death, Parks and Wildlife decided to charge him, saying pets are not included in Colorado’s statue.
Richards is being charged with three misdemeanors — unlawful take of wildlife, unlawful possession of wildlife, and unlawful discharge of firearm in a careless manner. Fines and penalties will be decided by the district attorney.
“There were not extenuating circumstances where he would have been allowed to shoot this bear,” Jennifer Churchill with Parks and Wildlife said. “We consider this animal-on-animal.”
It was the first of two bears to die in Fort Collins in as many days. Investigators believe the bear spotted on Worthington Avenue on Saturday is the same bear that turned up dead on Shields Street early Sunday, likely struck and killed by vehicles. Highman says the deaths are unfortunate, but the charges are unfair.
“Because he was probably as scared as anybody else would be when you walkout, then he was probably right in doing that,” he said.
I would demand a jury trial
Well, if he had called the police they could have cuffed the bear and taken him to the police station.
But if a cop had shot a dog in a neighborhood with people nearby, everything would be hunky-dory, no carelessness at all.
Must be the Niles Michigan Bear.....a protected species.
Jury nullification. All he needs is one dog owner. Exhibit A, a large glossy photo of Fido.
Notice the government pigs pile up the charges so they can force him to plead out. In no way did the shooter “possess” wildlife nor did he discharge a firearm carelessly. Once again the lesson here is never speak with government slime without representation. Had a lawyer got to this guy first he would have known enough to only say he feared for HIS personal safety.
This sort of lunacy in law enforcement and even laws, is exactly what will make people avoid following the law. In this case, such law enforcement is not serving individual rights and our good. The rule of law is diminished.
Ayn Rand put it well in Atlas Shrugged, paraphrasing; You make too many laws and then everyone is a criminal.
So if I am already a criminal no matter what I do, and my dog is being killed by a bear, I will shoot the bear. And thus- ‘Shoot, Shovel, and Shuddup’.
Could be. But I’m sure he would be just as happy, if not happier, in the U.P.
So if a bear wants to eat your dog, —
Better keep your dog healthy.
Don’t want to feed the bear ‘junk’ food.
It’s liberal CO, what else do you expect? Kill kids, save wildlife.
yep : )
I guess he should have given the bear pot.
I believe there's a claws that prevents them from doing that.
Still more government overreach.
It goes on forever, and it’s getting worse all the time.
This looks like a job for: Jury Nullification.
I, The Jury
The dog owner is an idiot for leaving his trash out and letting his dogs off leash. What did he think would happen?
The man will have to bear the burden of his actions. Lucky dog in that it bearly escaped death.
No, that is racist. Blackbearlives matter.
"Some say...he's a bear that eats dogs...all we know is, he used to be called The Stig." /Jeremy Clarkson
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