Posted on 01/05/2012 6:13:27 AM PST by Daffynition
WINDSOR, Conn.—An 82-year-old Connecticut man has been arrested on charges that he shot and killed a black bear that had climbed a tree and apparently damaged a bird feeder on his property.
John Rocha of Windsor was charged Wednesday with illegally killing a black bear and negligent hunting in the fourth degree. He was released on a promise to appear later in Enfield Superior Court.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
I'm suspecting a neighbor turned him in. Windsor, his town is quite densely populated.
A black bear? In Connecticut? They should give him a medal!!!
Plus, a female with a cub, not hibernating at this time of year?
Give the gent a break...he did good!
I’m waiting to hear they confiscated his rifle, car, and house.
We’re not known as the *Constituion State* fer nothin’!!!
According to Rocha, he doesn’t own a gun and it was some man in uniform who shot the bear.
http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/crime/black-bear-shot-and-killed-in-windsor
Forewarning: WTNH’s online reporting is pretty shoddy.
Probably Mr. Rocha is a veteran from 2 or 3 wars.
While his neighbors should be grateful, I’ll bet one of them turned him in, b/c they heard a load *explosion* from his rifle.
I work in Windsor.
The northern/western part of the town (where this guy lives) is sparsely populated.
I used to run through the woods during lunch, but had to stop because of a bear and her cubs.
Heh. The DEP! HAHAHA!
He’s a **Black bear killer now!!! They should be calling him a hero!
_____________________________________________
Alleged black bear killer names sheriff as shooter
Updated: Wednesday, 04 Jan 2012, 10:47 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 04 Jan 2012, 5:12 PM EST
Windsor, Conn. (WTNH) - An elderly Windsor man was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a black bear in his back yard, but he denies the whole thing.
Windsor police were called to Poquonock Avenue Wednesday afternoon because of a mama bear and her cub that had been wandering around the area.
It was that mama bear that was shot and killed, but what led up to that depends on who you ask.
The bears had been roaming around the Poquonock Avenue area of Windsor for a few days, but Wednesday Windsor police called the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) after they say one of the residents shot the bear when it was up in a tree.
It is illegal to shoot a black bear in the state unless you are being threatened.
Police say John Rocha is now facing fourth-degree negligent hunting charges.
However, when News 8 caught up with Rocha he said that the depiction of events isn’t true.
Rocha says the story got mixed up and that he was actually a witness when the sheriff shot the bear
“I called them three days ago on 911 when the bear first broke my bird feeder,” Rocha said.
He showed us the bird feeder, which he put in his garage after the 250-pound bear broke it. He says despite his 911 call, the police didn’t show up until Wednesday.
“And then I heard them knock on the door, said if they could go through my yard and then I followed him,” Rocha said, “and the bear was there and he shot him, and then he interviewed me and that was it.”
DEEP says after the mother bear was shot they came out to tranquilize the little one-year-old cub, who has now been relocated.
News 8 asked Rocha if that was what he saw happen, but he says no.
“It was the sheriff...well, whatever, maybe it might’ve been a constable,” Rocha said.
He says the man was in uniform, but doesn’t know if he was with Windsor police or DEEP. Rocha says he doesn’t even own a gun.
Neighbors tell News 8 they heard a gunshot blast and were told by police that Rocha had killed the bear.
DEEP says they confiscated a 30-caliber rifle.
Rocha is 82 years old, but did not seem confused or forgetful, and he insists he did not shoot the bear.
“I haven’t hunted in 40 years,” Rocha said with a laugh.
For now, DEEP is sticking to their story. They say Rocha was arrested, a gun was taken from him, and that he has a court date of January 17th.
Thanks :)
My one bit of advice for this gentleman is look up the counsel of Martha Dean.
I love the reporter, Annie Rourke, [video at your source] with her *gotcha* statements to Mr. Rocha and oooooooooooooo the *little bear and his momma*... hey Annie ... any possibility a bear could rip your face off...or carry off one of your kids???
Some ballistic testing is in order. Why no DEEP officials talking on camera? Eh?
More proof of the fact that there are way too many stupid laws on the books and way too many stupid politicians enacting them to justify their existence.
The black guy/neighbor .... ***he shouldn't be shootin'... we got kids playin' around here***...hey stupid, you weren't worried about your kids, at all? ....why didn't you bang pots 'n pans to scare it off? That would have solved it. Yep.
This neighbor, moved to the 'burbs/Windsor [just a few short miles from the north end of Hartford ] that boasts shootings and murders galore committed by black punks that are in possession of stolen guns, they have no permits and serial numbers have been filed off. I hope he feels safer living in Windsor, and that this *neighbor* who is so dangerous is prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
///rant [THX for listening GG...I'm going to bake some choco chip cookies]
Looks as if the cub had been ear tagged more than once; once again indicating hoe *effective* these Disney DEEP are in their jobs of protecting the public. Meh.
Wanna *rip your hair out*??? ....watch this video...http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Bear-Killed-in-Windsor-136685308.html
I’m too incensed about this, when I shouldn’t be...off to bake cookies [I may leave some out for the bears] :)
By the time the authoritizies come around, you have been breakfast,lunch and dinner with just clothing remaining...see, no bear just some naked person walking the woods..
The CT DEEP has consistently lied to us about the fisher cats, existence on mountain lions, and I don't expects any truth to come out on this incident.
OOooooooooooooo...cute, cute little bears....
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