Did they have a choice?? The Game Commission should be ashamed......the bear was killed to protect the public. The Game Commision just didn't care!

the police don't have hours to wait for the game commission so they took action to protect the public BEFORE someone got hurt or killed. The bear in that picture is no cub-he could just go through a door if he wanted. I think they did the right thing, based on the limited info I have....(and Common Sense...remember that??)

I agree with the above comment that the bear was killed to protect the public. The police don't have hours to sit & ponder what to do-they took action BEFORE somebody got hurt or worse.

Bears do NOT prey on humans!!!! We've invaded their space...why didn't the tranquiizer's work??? Was the dose to low, shots not accurate??? Stay away from the cub and a momma won't harm you. As Wiki puts it...you have more of a chance dying from a bee sting or being mauled by a dog.

They should have NOT killed the bear. They should have made a better effort to tranquilize it or contain it until someone better able to handle the situation was available. Shoot first, ask questions later. Brilliant.

A basis for a case, be it this instance an animal, of having to evaluate a threatening scenario, it all comes down to that, whether it was from a human or other source. What my question is, was the bear a male or female, and were there cubs involved, and where did the bear come from, there had to be a cave somewhere in the near area? Next question, for the game commission, aren't they on emergency duty 24/7 in an public emergency situation? The Easton Police did a fine job of protecting the public in my opinion, after using alternative devices first. We can go on and on and make them prove with lot numbers, etc., the tranquilizers that they used, but, when it all settles down were lives potentially saved?

Sorry, They should of just left it alone, It would have wandered off
The poor thing was just looking for a bite to eat
I do not believe it would have bothered anyone
Too many people afraid of things today
I would have been more afraid of the people who live in that Area than the Bear

You have a better chance of being attacked by most of the people that live in easton then that poor Bear!, How is it the elite Police force couldnt manage to tranquilize the bear but had no problem Killing it ? Sadly it sounds like the men in blue had a chance at target practice and took it.

More time thinking and the bear would be alive.

what someone should do is see if the officers have a oath of office that can be verified on public record , at the county court house . if they dont ,,,,, and im pretty sure they dont, have them arrested for poaching and for driving around with weapons on them and also turn them in to animal rights activist.

Personally, I think Mean Gene Lattig could have wrestled that bear down.

@lorraina...uh, yes...lives were potentially saved. Probably the life of someone whom would've taunted it or tried to pet one of her cubs! Easton Police Officers should be setting up breathalizers at the square after 9 pm on weekends if you are trying to 'potentially save lives!'

The Easton police department did not contact the Pennylvania Game Commission, they contacted the Northamton County Dispatch Center. So there was no direct communication between the Easton police department and the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

How does one expect the Pennsylvania Game Commission to respond an event when they are not contacted?

PGC standard operating procedure for this would be to sedate the bear and relocate it.

Easton police Capt. Scott Casterline was quotes as saying. "No one was in immediate danger, but there is always concern when a bear feels comfortable enough to go around populated areas. It presented a public safety hazard, so the bear was killed."

There have been bear sighting in almost every town in Northampton County this spring, but this is the only bear shot?

A bear that was "no immediate danger" and a bear that the police allowed the news photographers to get so close to prior to shooting it. If the police killed the the bear to protect the public why did they allow the news photographers to get so close to it?

A bear that is not a threat should not have been shot. The police officer that shot the bear should be charged with shooting a bear out of season and without a hunting license. Since he bear was "no immediate danger", and the use of deadly force was not required. Remember police officers are just men and women with badges, and the do not have special rights and need to follow all the Commonwealth's laws.

Who are the animals here!!!!!!

Just another brilliant move by Easton's finest. Every time I hear something like this I loose a little more confidence. If they would quit hurting and shooting people and then loosing court battles to the sum of millions of dollars. Maybe we would have the budget to tranquilizer a young bear. Instead of lying about trying. I'm embarrassed to tell people I live in Easton !!!!!

No they should not killed that cub..maybe someone on the dept should be trained in
These situations..he was only a baby and scared..

Of course they should not have killed the bear. But other means "unavailable" is the excuse, and no matter what, all this discussion will not change what happened. Lets learn from it and move forward. And yes, someone with my name in the mid-west is actually a bear specialist, and I do not have time to follow in his footsteps.

The bear did not attack anyone. Shooting and killing it was not necessary.

I read in todays newspaper (express times) that these officers that shot the bear most likely had an assault rifel in the police car , besides their glock 40 they carry on them, I was puzzled with what I just read an (assault rifel) what is going on here, And the lies, and cover ups this captain scott casterline is saying, this man should be ashamed of himself . i will personaly go to county court house and check on (oaths of office) and (code of ethics)and delagation of authority order from congress on each officer in question. If they do not have this on file ( on public record)These officers are totaly illegal ( imposters) i will file charges in federal court , They should have followed proper procedure and not lied about it this animal did not have to be shot no one was in danger not even the photographers.- AS a citizen in this great STATE OF PA WE THE PEOPLE WILL SHOW THEM HOW proper procedure is done.

Yeah...Kill the bear and Hitchco, too...It's the path of least resistance.

Omg bear!!!!!! If the police tried to tranquillize him and it didn't work. They had no choice but to put him down. Safety of the public first.