Before the Topicz family dog drove the bear out of the house and up into a tree, the bear took a few bags from the garage of the Burlington, Connecticut, home.

Topicz shot the bear warning shots. The bear was not giving up, however. Thus, a few warning shots were fired by Topicz. The bear eventually fled into the forest.

He learned the next day that the bear was killed when it was struck by one of those warning bullets. After finding the dead animal, a neighbor called the police.

Topicz reported the incident to the police. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection took him into custody two weeks later.

According to reports, Topicz broke a 2023 rule intended to protect both people and animals by killing the bear. Only when animals or beehives are in danger may some black bears be killed,

According to the WFSB. Killings must be approved by a specific permission. According to reports, the law permits the killing of bears in self-defense.

This explains why Topicz finds his arrest so confusing. He thought that shooting the bear satisfied the requirements. “I don’t know why DEEP charged me,” Topicz stated. All of us were under jeopardy.

It came inside our house. And I don’t know why DEEP charged me for this,” he said. DEEP said that it would not discuss the matter. Questions are not exclusive to Topicz.

Republicans Stephen Harding, Henri Martin, and Eric Berthel of the Connecticut state Senate wrote to DEEP to ask for an explanation for his detention.

Has the matter been closed? The senators from the states inquired. “The matter is not being discussed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “Why?” they wrote.

“Is the case closed now? Why, if so? To clear up any uncertainty and improve communication with our citizens, DEEP should make a public statement on this public safety issue.