LYNCHBURG, Va. β A man is charged after a bear was shot and killed in Lynchburg, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR).
DWR said that officers received a tip about the illegal killing of a bear on Sept. 11. An officer reviewed the city report, contacted the suspect and met him at his home.
"The man claimed the bear was a nuisance around his chicken coops, showed prior damage to the coop, and claimed several chickens had been killed over time," DWR said.
Investigators learned that the suspect and his wife went outside after their dogs barked and saw a bear in a tree near the coop.
The suspect fired two shots at the bear with a .45-caliber handgun. DWR said the bear started down the tree when the man fired his gun again, causing the bear to fall before firing two more shots and killing the bear.
"The bear had not entered the coop and there was no damage, nor had he contacted Lynchburg Police Department or DWR about bear issues in the past."
The officer explained that the suspect had no legal reason to shoot the bear, as claiming it was a "nuisance" is not a legal defense.
DWR said the suspect is charged with killing a bear during closed season and was also issued multiple warnings.
"This is a reminder: If you are experiencing a conflict with wildlife, the first step is to report the issue to the Wildlife Conflict Helpline at 1-855-571-9003," DWR said.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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