Tennessee police: Man shot black bear on 2nd floor of motel
Published 9:26 am Tuesday, November 12, 2019
GATLINBURG (AP) — Police in Tennessee have charged a man they say shot a black bear on the second floor of a motel.
News outlets report Gatlinburg Police say 53-year-old Gregory Sapp has been charged with illegal discharge of a weapon and reckless endangerment.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency spokesman Matthew Cameron told the Knoxville News Sentinel that Sapp encountered the bear on a motel breezeway Thursday night. Cameron says Sapp told authorities he shot the bear six times after it made an “aggressive move” toward him. The agency says that if those statements are found to be true, it likely won’t pursue additional charges.
The bear fled into the woods and hasn’t been found. If it is found dead, the wildlife agency says it will have a necropsy performed.