| Author | Message | ||
     K_soze Citizen Username: K_soze Post Number: 150 Registered: 11-2005  |
Yeah, I think so. He knows if he makes it to the line the cops will have to break it off | ||
| Stuart0628 Citizen Username: Stuart0628 Post Number: 267 Registered: 2-2003 |
WCBS' web site is reporting that the bear has been shot dead. http://wcbs880.com/ | ||
| K_soze Citizen Username: K_soze Post Number: 152 Registered: 11-2005 |
Damn, that sucks  | ||
| Soparents Citizen Username: Soparents Post Number: 301 Registered: 5-2005 |
I know it could have badly hurt someone. I know I would have been petrified finding that in my garden.... The bear must have been terrified and I am sure the police had no other option than to do what they did. It is just so sad that Animal control were but 5 minutes away with tranc darts. All the above bear jokes etc aside, I just wish that there had been a better outcome. | ||
| Rastro Citizen Username: Rastro Post Number: 3053 Registered: 5-2004  |
So we'll never know if the bear likes MEAD. | ||
| Monster© Supporter Username: Monster Post Number: 3140 Registered: 7-2002  |
MEAD!!! I think we should skin the bear, and sell a, The Women Of MOL, calendar, with pics taken on the bear rug. | ||
| bettyd Citizen Username: Badjtdso Post Number: 225 Registered: 12-2005 |
That's a shame. It must have been quite elusive to make its way from Livingston to SHU area. Was it shot in SO, Newark? Anyone know where? | ||
| Soparents Citizen Username: Soparents Post Number: 303 Registered: 5-2005 |
I think I heard Irvington | ||
| Phenixrising Citizen Username: Phenixrising Post Number: 1631 Registered: 9-2004  |
I read it was shot in Irvington. | ||
| Mayor McCheese Supporter Username: Mayor_mccheese Post Number: 1404 Registered: 7-2004  |
The bear will live on forever in our hearts. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 4987 Registered: 1-2004  |
How'd the bear go from 200 pounds yesterday to 250 this morning to between 300 and 350 pounds, after it was shot? I wasn't home but my friend must have sent 1/2 emails with updates from information he heard on his scanner. And he lives in Union County! I think I'm going to buy a scanner! Tried to in Circuit City this morning but they don't sell them.  | ||
| Shanabana Citizen Username: Shanabana Post Number: 387 Registered: 10-2005  |
And I only just told my 5 year old there were no bears in our neck of the suburbs. You know, we should become a gated community. All problems--homicides, roughneck- firework-viewers, bears, coyotes--solved. (except the Tau.) | ||
| The Mighty Tau Citizen Username: The_mighty_tau Post Number: 6 Registered: 3-2006 |
One can not solve, The Tau! | ||
| NORA Citizen Username: Norav Post Number: 158 Registered: 6-2004  |
Just The Aunt . Radio Shack just over the line in Newark sells them. Make sure you also buy the book with all the frequencies | ||
| Jersey_Boy Citizen Username: Jersey_boy Post Number: 781 Registered: 1-2006  |
Be careful down there, though. That's bear country. J.B. | ||
| K_soze Citizen Username: K_soze Post Number: 157 Registered: 11-2005 |
hahaha | ||
| SO Ref Citizen Username: So_refugee Post Number: 1816 Registered: 2-2005  |
Umm. It wasn't the same bear. | ||
| combustion Citizen Username: Spontaneous Post Number: 24 Registered: 4-2006 |
It's funny that the bear jumped from 200 to 300-350 lbs seemingly overnight. It's also funny that Irvington said they had to shoot it because it was charging them, yet the video taken as the bear was killed shows a scared animal cowering behind a tree. Maybe the press release came out before they realized someone had captured their (Irvington PD) cowardice on film. | ||
| K_soze Citizen Username: K_soze Post Number: 159 Registered: 11-2005 |
I can explain the weight gain, it's happened to me on occasion | ||
| Pippi Supporter Username: Pippi Post Number: 2182 Registered: 8-2003  |
My guess is the weight discrepancy was because they weighed the guy AFTER they killed him. Before, they were just guessing from eyewitness descriptions. and you know how wrong eyewitnesses usually are....they said he was blond with tattoos, too | ||
| Pippi Supporter Username: Pippi Post Number: 2184 Registered: 8-2003 |
According to the NY Times: "Taking no chances, the police shot and killed the 218-pound bear about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday." | ||
| jeep Citizen Username: Jeep Post Number: 106 Registered: 8-2005 |
It is very sad. There was no reason to kill the bear. It was running for its life. They had it cornered and the tranquilizer gun was 2 minutes away. | ||
| Politicalmon Citizen Username: Politicalmon Post Number: 151 Registered: 9-2005  |
Not sure if anyone caught ABC Good Morning America today but they had video footage of the shooting. It was rather apparent that the bear posed no threat, was not aggressive or posing any threat. It was cornered and frightened and watching the Irvington police (from a 2nd camera) shoot the bear with the rifle as a number of Irvington police watched as they joked around. It was all really sad they couldn’t wait? The footage from the neighbor’s yard of the bear as it was shot definitely contradicts the official account. | ||
| Mayor McCheese Supporter Username: Mayor_mccheese Post Number: 1420 Registered: 7-2004 |
We are talking about a bear, not a person right? Why are people so upset? The state will let you hunt bears in the wild, but one one shows up in the middle of irvington it isn't OK to shoot it? | ||
| Brett Weir Citizen Username: Brett_weir Post Number: 1537 Registered: 4-2004  |
Sorry, but unless they filmed the entire episode non-stop, I'm giving the benefit of the doubt to the cops. The optimal time to shoot an animal is while it's still so you don't hit anything or anyone else. A 200-300 lb. predator is way out of its environment, frightened and tired, and capable of killing an adult at any moment- I'm not asking any person to stand that creature off until a tranquilzer gun may arrive. And tranquilizers don't work immediately, as seen on nature programs where the time is elapsed. The dart alone can startle an animal into fleeing or attacking. It's sad that the bear was destroyed, but human safety has to come first- whether it be in Irvington, West Milford or Yellowstone Park. | ||
| MHD Citizen Username: Mayhewdrive Post Number: 4054 Registered: 5-2001  |
This one looks ferocious...  ...oh I thought you said Jellystone Park....  | ||
| Phenixrising Citizen Username: Phenixrising Post Number: 1639 Registered: 9-2004 |
Politicalmon You are correct. I saw the footage and the bear looked more frightened than a threat. However, once that bear crossed into Irvington (an urban area) they have the right to shoot it. | ||
| combustion Citizen Username: Spontaneous Post Number: 25 Registered: 4-2006 |
Having a right to do something and exercising that right are two different things. I have a "right" to do a lot of things, I choose not to do them. Also, as I said before, the film footage and the eyewitness accounts differ dramatically. This is sick to say (and I know I'll get flak over it) but I probably wouldn't care anywhere near as much if it were a person who was killed, unless it were a child. Adults (of ANY race, don't read into this!) get themselves into predicaments, animals and children are innocents caught up in something they have no control over. | ||
| joel dranove Citizen Username: Jdranove Post Number: 476 Registered: 1-2006 |
Their police chief was ours, once upon a time. jd | ||
| Politicalmon Citizen Username: Politicalmon Post Number: 153 Registered: 9-2005 |
Brett; The official account was that the Bear 'lunged at the officer', viewing the footage it was obvious that this did not occur. I’m merely stating that for the record, that what the officials stated as the reason to shoot never happened. If this was a human there would be an inquiry. There was no aggressive behavior, killing an animal that presents a threat I could understand. This animal did not pose a threat when it was cornered and shot. And given it was cornered, frightened you would think that the more intelligent species would not add gasoline to a volatile situation by making an aggressive move. If everyone stayed put and waited the 2 minutes for the tranquilizer gun to appear then this may have ended differently. Instead you had a trigger happy officer smiling as he took out the creature – this was not a grizzly but a black bear which are mostly docile creatures. This killing could have and should have been avoided – hopefully you will get to see the footage for yourself since pictures speak louder than words. Lastly, some information about Black Bears - The greatest misconception about black bears is that they are likely to attack people in defense of cubs. They are highly unlikely to do this. Black bear researchers often capture screaming cubs in the presence of bluff-charging mothers with no attacks. So even when their cubs are threatened they don't attack - sounds like a real monster doesn't it? But I guess you will blindly follow the word of authority without due dilligence - very thin ice indeed. | ||
| Phenixrising Citizen Username: Phenixrising Post Number: 1641 Registered: 9-2004 |
combustion, I should have sighted the law of the "Bear Exclusion Zone," a state designation which allows urban communities to kill it. The bear zones were instituted last year as part of state efforts to control a burgeoning bear population to protect suburban residents, and city dwellers as well. I was hoping that the animal control guy would tranquilized the bear and later release it to its habitat. The bear looked more frightened than threatening IMO.  | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 11479 Registered: 5-2001 |
I haven't seen the footage. However, the bear was doomed one way or another. Black bears aren't rare enough that anyone would want one for a zoo and the State isn't about to release another bear out in Sussex County, simply because they have more than enough, which is why they are beginning to wander into eastern New Jersey. Personally this saddens me, especially with this particular bear who put up one heck of a run and showed a lot of cunning to get all the way to Irvington. Howerver, even if he had been tranquilized he would have ended up euthenized, unless JAC had room for him. | ||
| Brett Weir Citizen Username: Brett_weir Post Number: 1538 Registered: 4-2004 |
Politicalmon- So according to your vast and personal experience in the field, no black bear has ever charged a human in defense of her cubs? In a word, I don't believe you, no matter how many hours you may have glued yourself to the Discovery Channel. Black bears are docile creatures? Tell that to the Dad who took a bagel out of his 5 year-old's sack and threw it to a bear, who promptly attacked the child. Ursine behavior is unpredictable under the best conditions, not to mention completely adverse ones. Black bears and grizzlies are all docile, until they feel threatened. Next time you immerse yourself in ursine behavior, watch "Grizzly Man"- he was around the same bears for ten years and knew them intimately, right up to the moment he was torn to shreds. George Adamson ("Born Free") was around lions for 40 years and was still killed by them. Roy Horn raised the tiger that attacked him from birth, and so on. They are animals, and no amount of studying or familiarity will overcome their natural instincts if they feel threatened. My point is that I'm not going to ask urban cops who are untrained in animal behavior to stand down on the chance that the bear can be sedated. In a matter of seconds a bear can turn deadly; shooting him as he attacks would increase the probability of an errant shot and decrease the chance of successfully stopping him. Injured cops and a wounded bear at-large are just not worth the risk. | ||
| Jersey_Boy Citizen Username: Jersey_boy Post Number: 789 Registered: 1-2006 |
Given the speed of this bear who was being tracked by HELICOPTER and CARS for twenty four hours, I would not have wanted to be near it AT ALL when it was hit by the tranquilizer dart, for the period of time before sedation kicks in. They would have shot him with real bullets after the tranquilizer when he went nuts and the police would have looked even dumber. J.B. | ||
| LW Citizen Username: Lrw Post Number: 129 Registered: 10-2005 |
I definitely think the Irvington PD could have tranquilized the bear, instead of murdering it. Since they decided to kill her, as opposed to attempting to sedate it, they could at least have the balls to be honest. Why lie about why they shot the bear? Pretty scary when our law enforcement can get in front of dozens of cameras and the public, and lie about their actions and motives. But then again, I can't say that I'm all that surprised, considering the PD also shoot people and ask questions later. | ||
| K_soze Citizen Username: K_soze Post Number: 162 Registered: 11-2005 |
LW - You have no clue what you're talking about!! You think because you saw a clip....something that was edited....it gives you the right to call the Irvington police liars? What do you do for a living? How do you know so much about bears and police work......better place a call to SOPD and see if their cars are equiped with bear darts.........might as well have shark repelant spray while they're at it. Unless you were there the entire time you can't accuse the Irvington police dept of being liars. Is it at all possible that the bear lunged at a time other than that being recorded? I'm sorry the animal had to be killed but I'm also glad that no one was hurt because of it..especially the officers tasked with following it and trying to keep it at bay. Would you walk through yards looking for the thing? I wish this whole thing would have turned out better but for someone to come out and label a police force liars is BS | ||
| Old and Gray Citizen Username: Pastmyprime Post Number: 352 Registered: 2-2005 |
Nice Shark repellent reference...Going back to original batman. | ||
| Brett Weir Citizen Username: Brett_weir Post Number: 1539 Registered: 4-2004 |
LW writes "I can't say I'm all that surprised, considering the PD also shoot people and ask questions later". When was the last time you were in mortal danger, so the PD can benefit from your intimate knowledge on the subject? What questions would you have them ask when they're lives are threatened? "Are you really going to kill me?" "Is that gun loaded?" "Why do you feel the need to express yourself in such violent terms?" You're talking through your azz, and your assertions that it's all some big cover-up are complete BS, unless you maintained visual first-hand contact from start to finish. It's pretty easy to play "armchair naturalist", but the people who actually have to stare down at the business end of a wild bear don't have time for parlor games. If it's so damned easy, step away from the plasma TV and go play "bear tag" to your heart's content. | ||
| LW Citizen Username: Lrw Post Number: 131 Registered: 10-2005 |
K_soze-You're right, I have no clue, just a videotape and dozens of eyewitness accounts, but I forgot, those are null and void because videotapes can be edited and all those people could be telling the same lie. I don't know too much about bears, but I do know that the police did have the option to tranquilize the bear. I also know that the bear had not attacked or threatened anyone, (except, of course, the police, os so they say). And you don't need "bear darts" or "shark repel[l]ant (which is what I believe you meant to spell)" when you have a tranquilizer and the professional who is fully equipped, and adequately trained to deal with these situations. So, if I shouldn't accuse the PD of lying, is it fair for you to accuse the residents and news reporters of lying? That's essentially what you, in turn, are doing. Lastly, please note that I did not label the entire force liars, just the deputy chief who went on tv and said that they had no choice to shoot the bear after it took an aggressive stance toward them. | ||
| K_soze Citizen Username: K_soze Post Number: 165 Registered: 11-2005 |
Ok, you got me on "repellant".. nice job. But if you think the media doesn't skew things to make police look bad you're friggin' mad. BTW, what eyewitnesses do you have? Unless Jack Hanna was standing around on the streets of Irvington I don't want to hear crap, you think bystanders always know what the hell they're talking about? |
