A Connecticut father has been arrested and charged after killing a black bear that was threatening his two children.

The bear entered 39-year-old Todd Topicz’s garage and was raiding the trash. It came very close, within feet, to his two kids before being chased up a tree by the family dog.

Topicz fired off five warning shots at the bear, trying to get it to flee. According to Topicz, he wasn’t even intending to kill the bear.

However, he accidentally shot and killed it while trying to chase it off into the woods.

Now, he has been arrested by the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for the illegal taking of a bear. To get the charge dismissed, he will have to attend a rehabilitation program.

Connecticut dad arrested for shooting bear that ‘came within feet’ of his children https://t.co/fujm3I2Psj pic.twitter.com/R1sWoQWCo4

— The Independent (@Independent) April 22, 2025

More details from Independent:

State legislators in Connecticut are demanding an explanation after a local father said he had been arrested and charged with killing a bear in self-defense.

Todd Topicz, 39, of Bethlehem in Litchfield County, told local broadcaster WFSB earlier this month that he believed he had to act when a black bear entered his garage, raided his trash, came “within feet” of his two children, and was then chased up a tree by his dog.

Topicz said he fired five warning shots at the bear and chased it off into the woods, only to realize afterwards that he had accidentally hit and killed it.

Killing bears is illegal in Connecticut unless a person “reasonably believes” that it is entering an occupied building, attacking or threatening a human being, or attacking a properly controlled pet.

Nevertheless, the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) charged Topicz with the illegal taking of a bear, meaning he must now undergo a rehabilitation program to dismiss the count.

“We were all threatened. It entered our home. And I have no idea why DEEP ended up charging me for this,” the U.S. Army veteran told WFSB.

What a ridiculous charge.

State lawmakers have sent a letter to DEEP, demanding answers as to why they charged Topicz.

Per CT Insider:

A Bethlehem man said he fired warning shots at a black bear that had come into the garage where his children were playing, but ended up killing it — and paying a price he says was unjust.

Todd Topicz, 39, said in an interview Friday that state Environmental Conservation Police charged him with illegally killing the bear in August. Topicz also was charged with negligent discharge of a firearm and breach of peace. He said he has been granted accelerated rehabilitation on all charges, which will be dismissed next year if he meets requirements of the pretrial diversionary program. AR does not require a defendant to enter a guilty plea.

Topicz said, however, that the arrest still galls and confuses him. He cited a 2023 state law on self-defense against bears, which says a person may kill a bear if it is inflicting or about to inflict great bodily harm, injuring or killing a pet or entering a building occupied by people.

State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesperson James Fowler said the case has a sealed court record, and the agency had no information to provide.

Republican state Sens. Eric Berthel, Stephen Harding and Henri Martin sent a letter to DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes on Thursday, seeking answers on why Topicz was charged.

“The arrest confused Mr. Topicz, and understandably so,” the senators wrote, outlining the law on self-defense against bears.

“Mr. Topicz said he felt that his situation met the criteria,” they wrote. “The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is not commenting on the case. Why? Has the case been sealed? If so, why?

“A public statement from DEEP regarding this public safety matter would help resolve confusion and enable us to better communicate with our constituents,” the legislators wrote.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport.

View the original article here.