Cop involved in Newtown bear shooting placed on leave

The Ridgefield cop involved in the shooting of a mother bear in Newtown has been placed on administrative leave, while the black bear’s two cubs will be sent to a wildlife rehabilitator.

Authorities have not released the name of the off-duty officer connected to the May 12 incident on a private property in Newtown on Thursday.

“We are aware that one of our officers was involved in an off-duty incident in which a bear was shot and killed in

Newtown,” Ridgefield Police Chief Jeff Kreitz said in an email.

Exact details on how the cubs’ mother, a wellknown bear affectionately called “Bobbi,” was shot are still unclear. State law prohibits trapping or killing bears except in instances of self-defense.

On Monday, DEEP officials said the two cubs had been “safely” captured . One was tranquilized after it came down out of a tree. The second was also later tranquilized and captured, the agency reported.

The cubs are both in good health. “They’re awake this morning and a little bit feisty,” she said. Both will be placed with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator after final arrangements are made.

Neither has been given a name.

“Wild animals are not pets, and when we start to make that connection that we would with our dog or our cat, that’s when we start to do things that are not in their best interest,” Dickson said.