Overview

• Vernon Township police and state wildlife officials say the bear roamed near Route 94 for hours on Sept. 16, weaving through traffic and nearby parking lots.
• A 90-year-old shopper sustained a minor leg injury inside the Dollar General and was taken to a hospital, according to police.
• Customer Sean Clarkin guided the bear out of the store as he filmed the encounter, and the video circulated widely on social media.
• Police previously used rubber bullets to drive the animal into the woods, and a nearby business owner reported the bear attacked his dog and chased employees.
• Officers later euthanized the bear under New Jersey Fish and Wildlife’s category 1 protocol, and the carcass was collected for rabies testing expected to take three to five days.