Haines Borough Police officers Max Marty and Max Jusi and Alaska State Trooper Josh Whitby killed a bear on Mt. Riley Road late Monday evening.
It’s not clear if it’s the bear that attacked Toni Smith Saturday morning. Whitby said they collected DNA from the bear and will send it up to Anchorage, where the Alaska Department of Fish and Game will compare the DNA with the DNA from Smith’s clothing.
Police have been monitoring a cache of food near the site of the attack. Whitby said Marty was at the attack site, when a young male bear came out of the woods.
According to Whitby, Marty tried to haze it away using a cracker round from a shotgun, or an explosive meant to scare off the bear without injuring it.
“Just like when using, in riot control and stuff – a rubber round – where you shoot matters. You can actually cause damage that’s going to create a wounded bear rather than essentially a really bad Charlie Horse, which is essentially what you’re looking for when you hit a bear with it,” Whitby said.
The bear charged Marty, prompting him to shoot it, Whitby said. Then, it ran into the woods and police and Whitby followed it.
Haines police sent a Nixle alert at about 7:17 p.m. warning of a wounded bear, asking residents to avoid Mt. Riley Road.
“[We]can’t just let an injured bear run around,” Whitby said.
Two additional shots were fired, killing the bear. Whitby did not specify who fired them.
Police sent another alert and reopened the road by 8:17 p.m.