An editorial by The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The Huntington Police Department got a healthy dose of criticism last week after officers shot and killed a black bear roaming the city’s Southside neighborhood.
Many residents commented online that they felt the bear should have been tranquilized and relocated without the loss of life.
In an ideal situation, that could have been a workable plan. But considering the bear was in a highly populated area and police did not have tranquilizing equipment readily available, officers made the right call.
The 200-pound, two-year-old male bear had wandered deep into residential areas of the city and was not far from downtown – a very rare occurrence. Moreover, the bear had attracted a crowd of onlookers, and after a brief climb into a tree, was back on the move…