There are rules in nature: Everything born must die. Living things fight to stay alive. And of course, there’s the old adage, “kill or be killed.” It speaks to the notion that sometimes animals have to make the decision to inflict violence or harm on another in order to preserve their own lives. One father in Connecticut was operating by this law while attempting to protect himself and his family from a bear that walked into his home.
Still, the law of the land has punished him for it, arresting and charging him with a crime. The whole ordeal has left the protective father and husband confused.
The bear entered the family’s garage.
Todd Topicz was with his two children in their home in August 2024, when a bear decided to join them, Fox 8 Live reported. “He [the bear] walked right into the garage with people in there. He didn’t care. So, who knows what would’ve happened next time,” Topicz said.
The bear grabbed a few bags from the garage of the home in Burlington, Connecticut, before the Topicz family dog chased it out of the residence and up into a tree.
Topicz fired warning shots at the bear.
Still, the bear wasn’t backing down. So, Topicz fired a few warning shots. Eventually, the bear took off into the woods. The next day, he found out one of those warning shots hit the bear, killing it.
A neighbor discovered the dead animal and reported it to the police. Topicz informed police of the incident. Two weeks later, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection arrested him.
A law protecting bears was enacted in 2023.
Topicz killing the bear reportedly violated a 2023 law designed to protect bears and humans. According to WFSB, only killing of certain black bears when livestock or beehives are in danger is authorized. Killings need to be authorized through a special permit. The law does reportedly allow someone to kill a bear in self-defense. This is why Topicz is so perplexed by his arrest. He believed his shooting the bear met the criteria.
Topicz said he has no idea why DEEP charged him.
“We were all threatened. It entered our home. And I have no idea why DEEP ended up charging me for this,” he said. DEEP said it would not comment on the case. Topicz isn’t the only one with questions. Connecticut state Senate Republicans Eric Berthel, Henri Martin, and Stephen Harding, wrote a letter to DEEP requesting clarification for his arrest.
‘Has the case been sealed?’ the state senators asked.
“The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is not commenting on the case. Why?” they wrote. “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.”
In response to the charges, Topicz has been participating in an accelerated rehabilitation program for first-time offenders. Charges won’t be filed if he completes the program.
