Overview

• Todd Topicz, a father from Bethlehem, Connecticut, shot and killed a black bear last August after it entered his garage where his children were playing.
• Connecticut law permits killing a bear in self-defense if it threatens humans, pets, or enters an occupied building, but Topicz was charged with the illegal taking of a bear.
• Topicz is participating in an accelerated rehabilitation program for first-time offenders, which will result in the dismissal of charges upon completion.
• State Republican senators have demanded public clarification from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), but the agency cites sealed court records as the reason for withholding comment.
• The case has highlighted tensions between public safety, wildlife protection laws, and the growing number of human-bear encounters in Connecticut.