Posted on 04/21/2025 5:27:57 AM PDT by Puppage
CONNECTICUT — A man from Bethlehem said he was caught in a tough situation that involved self defense and breaking the law.
Todd Topicz exclusively told Channel 3 that was woken up in August by his pregnant wife after a bear came within feet of his two children.
“He walked right into the garage with people in there. He didn’t care. So, who knows what would’ve happened next time,” Topicz said.
He said that the bear entered the home through the garage, where the two kids were at the time.
The animal grabbed a few bags before being chased up a tree by his dog. When he realized the bear wasn’t backing down, he fired a few warning shots before the bear finally took off into the woods.
He said it wasn’t until the next day that he realized that he had unintentionally shot the bear.
A neighbor reported the dead bear to police and that’s when Topicz told them what happened. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection arrested him two weeks later.
“DEEP contacted me and said hey since you shot the bear and killed it, we have to arrest you again and charge you again with illegal taking of a bear,” he said.
He said the arrest confused him.
A 2023 law outlines when a person can legally kill a bear, specifying that a person can kill a bear in self defense if they reasonably believe that the animal is about to inflict bodily harm to a human, injure or kill a person’s pet, or enters a building occupied by persons.
Topicz said he felt that his situation met the criteria.
“We were all threatened. It entered our home. And I have no idea why DEEP ended up charging me for this,” he said.
Senator Eric Bethel, who represents Bethlehem, said that he supports a resident’s rights to defend themselves and that similar situations are a public safety issue.
DEEP said that it would not comment on the case.
Topicz said he is doing an accelerated rehabilitation program for first time offenders. As long as he completes it, no charges will be filed.
In Georgia if you shoot a bear outside of licensed hunting its a big deal.
The bear was turning his life around and was a hero to the community.
What really brothers me is he fired “warning shits” and didn’t know he hit the bear?
Needs better range time or get his story straight.
He had recently enrolled in Community College and was hoping to become an artist.
If the animal is to remain wild, do we really want it walking into a person’s garage?
He fired warning shots to scare it away. His dogs chased it up a tree then somehow he accidentally shot it. Part of this is his own fault. He should have just said he shot it and then the dogs chased it.
His story makes it sound like he shot it out of the tree.
I know here in Illinois the same holds true for a legal gun owner shooting someone in self defense. There’s a very clear line as far as deciding what a threat is. The incident with the bear is very similar.
The framers in their wisdom anticipated such a problem.
He could have offered this bear a firearm then they could have fought it out or the bear agreed to become his pet.
We have a right to keep and arm bears.
When you shoot a bear out of season, just shoot and don’t talk.
It’s Connecticut
Lots of bears in neighborhoods and woods around CT. Many stories of them chasing joggers and such. Golfing there last year there was one running around the course in plain sight.
I never thought I’d need a 17th tool in my golf bag.
Maybe the rehabilitation program involves watching a lot of Yogi Bear cartoons.
Shot while in the garage would be more self defense like. Shot in a tree not so much. Firing bullets when you don’t know where they are going is inexcusable.
“If the bear was happy with his takings, he would have been back for more. That’s why, when a bear enters a campground at a national park and gets some food, the rangers there get some target practice. There is simply NO WAY to negotiate boundaries with a bear, they WILL NOT LISTEN, no matter what the animal rights type claim.”
I was unable to even negotiate boundaries with my cat.
“FYI, I am a little pissed off right now because the neighbor who bought the 55 acre property next to me just POSTED their property recently. This is land that I have been hunting on for the 14 years I have lived next door«
Get over it. It is his property not yours. You should have bought it if you wanted to keep playing on it.
Proper range time.
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