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FWC Report On Bear Killing
FWC Report On Bear Killing
FWC Report On Bear Killing
LOCATION(S)
County Location Type Location Description
PALM BEACH INCIDENT LOCATION BEHIND THIS RESIDENCE ON CRESTWOOD BLVD
Street Number Street Apt/Lot/Bldg City State Zip Code Phone Number Ext.
116 BELMONT DR WEST PALM FL 33411
BEACH
INVESTIGATION
Was body camera used? No
Special Markings
Description
DECEASED BLACK BEAR
Owner Type Property Owner Property Released To Person Property Released By Officer
OTHER
Narrative: INITIAL
Narrative Date/Time Narrative Synopsis
6/19/2022 11:33:21 AM
Reporting Officer Officer Rank Officer ID No Officer Org/Unit
FWCS\SO
L. BREVIK OFFICER SP WN992 REGION
A\PALM BEACH
I told all PBSO personnel on scene to not shoot the bear and
that they don’t want to shoot the bear. A PBSO lieutenant arrived on
scene. I told both deputies on scene that I would approach their
lieutenant and advised him not to follow through with killing the bear.
Deputies stated to please go talk to their lieutenant. I approached
him and told him not to follow through with killing the Florida Black
Bear and that they did not want to kill the Florida Black Bear. The
PBSO lieutenant stated that he had approval from PBSO chain of
command to kill the Florida Black Bear. The two deputies with
shotguns did express to me that they did not want to shoot the
Florida Black Bear, the deputies followed PBSO orders and not
FWCs plan of action. PBSO was not authorized by FWC to kill the
bear.
As the Florida Black Bear came down from the tree Officer
Willems and I continued to haze the Florida Black Bear using our
patrol vehicle sirens and our voices. The two PBSO deputies who
were directed to grab their issued shotguns were also yelling at the
bear to avoid it from coming down. The Florida Black Bear appeared
scared and did not want to be in that tree anymore. At
approximately 1220 hours, the Florida Black Bear slowly slid down
the tree, got all four of its paws on the ground and was shot four
times by PBSO with PBSO 12g slugs as it quartered away from
deputies. The bear was moving to get away from the officers and
deputies when it was shot and killed on the far side east of the pine
tree. The bear did not show any signs of aggression, when it exited
the tree. The juvenile Florida Black Bear was never a safety hazard
while I was on scene.
came down from the tree unless there was threat of an attack.
A short time later the bear started to make its way down the
tree, and despite yelling from everyone on scene, and the sirens
from my patrol truck the bear made it to the ground where it turned
away from us, began to retreat, and was shot by the PBSO deputies.
The bear died at the base of the tree. The PBSO LT. on scene told
both of us that he had authorization from PBSO COC to kill the bear.
I advised him that the bear was a protected animal and should of not
been killed unless it was a deadly force situation, which it was not.
We loaded the deceased bear into Officer Brevik's patrol truck and it
was transported to the FWC Jupiter office for storage.
End of report
Narrative: SUPPLEMENTAL
Narrative Date/Time Narrative Synopsis
6/21/2022 10:01:19 AM
Reporting Officer Officer Rank Officer ID No Officer Org/Unit
FWCS\SO
WARNE, AUSTIN L LIEUTENANT WN364 REGION
A\PALM BEACH
Officer Signature Officer Agency
FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
COMMISSION
On 06/18/2022at approximately 1004 hours, I Lieutenant Austin Warne of the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission received a call from Officer Lonnie Brevik regarding a black bear sighting in
Royal Palm Beach. Officer Brevik advised that Officer Willems and himself were going to be enroute.
Below is a chronology of the events of my involvement.
Chronology of events:
• Approximately 10:04 hours, I received a phone call from Officer Brevik stating he was on scene
in Royal Palm Beach looking for a bear that PBSO reported to have seen and at one point it was in a
tree, but it was no longer in a tree upon Officer Brevik’s arrival.
• Officer Brevik advised he was in touch with the on call bear Biologist Sean Mchugh and he said
they would not send a trapper unless it was in a tree.
• Officer Brevik called back and advised they spotted it, and at the advice of the on-call bear
biologist, to try and tree it.
• I spoke to on call bear Biologist Sean Mchugh who advised me the same thing.
• Officers Brevik and Willems located it and was able to haze it into a tree behind address 116
Belmont Drive, West Palm Beach FL.
• I called Sean Mchugh and advised him that the bear was in a tree and to get a trapper enroute.
• Sean Mchugh advised that he was at Dinner Island Ranch WMA and that he was working on
getting in contact with trappers but so far, he was unsuccessful and he was unsure if he could locate
one.
• I spoke with Arielle Callender to inform her about the incident and that we expected media
presence. She advised, she would call Bear Biologist David Telesco in Tallahassee and would have
him call me.
• Shortly after Biologist David Telesco called me, and I advised him of the situation. I advised him
there were PBSO deputies on scene along with our officers and the bear was in a tree. I advised him it
was in a populated area in a neighborhood without many places for the bear to go. I sent him the
address of the location.
• Biologist David Telesco advised that they are working on getting a trapper but are not having
any luck. I asked him about tranquilizing the bear and he said they had no one in the area with a
tranquilizer. David Telesco advised that they could try to get a trapper out there but there is no
guarantee it will go in the trap after coming down from the tree.
o I advised Telesco that our Captive Wildlife Investigators had tranquilizers and if it was okay that
they tranquilized it.
o Telesco advised that we could tranquilize the bear but only if it was on the ground so it would not
fall out of the tree and get hurt.
• I called Captive Wildlife Lieutenant John Garzaniti, explained the situation to him and asked him
if we could find someone to tranquilize the bear.
• Lieutenant John Garzaniti advised he would work on finding someone.
• Captive Wildlife Investigator Eric Howell called, and advised he had a tranquilizer gun, and was
working on a solution to childcare or possibly getting another investigator out there that could help.
• Lieutenant Jon Garzaniti called me back and advised me that he had a conference call with
multiple bear biologist in Tallahassee and it was determined that they were not going to tranquilize the
bear and their protocol was to leave it alone and let it go back into the woods. He explained that the
bear would disperse on its own and go back into an area that would not be a nuisance.
• I asked Garzaniti what we should do about media, public and etc. He advised me that the
direction was to give the bear space and keep the public and media away from it, so it did not feel
pressured. I asked how long our officers should stay on scene. He said he would call me back with the
answer.
• Lieutenant Jon Garzaniti called me back and said the biologist advised just to say on scene until
the bear was out of the tree and no longer a nuisance. I told him that might be until dark but I would
provide that direction.
• I relayed the information to Captain Yetter.
• I relayed all that information to Officer Brevik and advised him to provide my number to any
supervisor on scene who wanted to call me about it.
• I received a text message from FWC Bear Biologist David Telesco which advised “We just spoke
with Jon Garzaniti with captive wildlife and we don’t have anyone with experience in the area. Looking
at the of where this is located and if the bear goes North, West, or South he’ll be in conservation lands.
We think the best approach is to let this bear come down the tree and let it go. If it stays in the tree we
can put a trap under it but seems like it wants to come down so that’s unlikely. Just want to have crowd
control at this point.”
• FWC Bear Biologist David Telesco also called me and wanted to make sure I received his text
message. I advised him that I did.
• After talking to FWC Officer Brevik about the plan he asked if their chain of command called me
and I said no. Officer Brevik advised that PBSO advised him that they were given direction to shoot the
bear if it came out of the tree.
• I advised Officer Brevik I would immediately notify Captain Yetter and to work on getting me a
direct contact to the PBSO supervisor on scene.
• I called Captain Yetter and advised him of the situation and told him I was waiting on a direct
contact for a PBSO supervisor on scene.
• I hung up with Captain Yetter and within a few short minutes Officer Brevik called me back and
advised they euthanized the bear.
• I notified Captain Yetter of the information.
• Officer Brevik advised me that he spoke to a PBSO official on scene and advised them that our
biologist may want the bear and inquired if they need help removing the bear.
• Officer Brevik advised me that the PBSO official said, it’s their scene and they would handle the
bear.
• Captain Yetter advised he was going to be enroute and become supervisor on scene.
Picture
Picture Date Time Picture Height Picture Width Picture Size Resized
6/18/2022 12:09:32 PM 1080 1440 1560 KB True
Description
DECEASED BLACK BEAR SHOT BY PBSO/ APPRX ANGLE OF SHOTS FIRED / BLACK BEAR FACING AWAY
Picture
Picture Date Time Picture Height Picture Width Picture Size Resized
6/18/2022 12:09:40 PM 1080 1440 1470 KB True
Description
DECEASED BLACK BEAR SHOT BY PBSO
Picture
Picture Date Time Picture Height Picture Width Picture Size Resized
6/18/2022 12:09:47 PM 1080 1440 1337 KB True
Description
DECEASED BLACK BEAR SHOT BY PBSO
Picture
Picture Date Time Picture Height Picture Width Picture Size Resized
6/18/2022 12:10:10 PM 1080 1440 1454 KB True
Description
DECEASED BLACK BEAR SHOT BY PBSO/ APPRX ANGLE OF SHOTS FIRED / BLACK BEAR FACING AWAY
Picture
Picture Date Time Picture Height Picture Width Picture Size Resized
6/18/2022 12:10:18 PM 1080 1440 1293 KB True
Description
PBSO ISSUED 12G RIFLED SLUGE SHOTGUN SHELL (FIRED)
Picture
Picture Date Time Picture Height Picture Width Picture Size Resized
6/18/2022 12:10:28 PM 1080 1440 1325 KB True
Description
PBSO ISSUED 12G RIFLED SLUGE SHOTGUN SHELL (FIRED)
Picture
Picture Date Time Picture Height Picture Width Picture Size Resized
6/18/2022 12:10:51 PM 1080 1440 1494 KB True
Description
PBSO ISSUED 12G RIFLED SLUGE SHOTGUN SHELL (FIRED)
Picture
Picture Date Time Picture Height Picture Width Picture Size Resized
6/18/2022 12:11:17 PM 1080 1440 1452 KB True
Description
PBSO ISSUED 12G RIFLED SLUGE SHOTGUN SHELL (FIRED)
Picture
Picture Date Time Picture Height Picture Width Picture Size Resized
6/18/2022 12:11:36 PM 1080 1440 1175 KB True
Description
PBSO ISSUED 12G RIFLED SLUGE SHOTGUN SHELL (FIRED)
Picture
Picture Date Time Picture Height Picture Width Picture Size Resized
6/18/2022 12:27:30 PM 1080 1440 1520 KB True
Description
AREA BLACK BEAR WAS SHOT. BLACK BEAR IS DECEASED IN BETWEEN PINE TREE AND PALM TREE LEFT SIDE
The undersigned certifies and swears that he/she has just and reasonable grounds to believe that the above named Defendant,
committed violation(s), of law, on the below date(s) and time(s), as listed in the narratives associated with this report:
Officer: Reporting Officer (Supplement01)
Officer Name Office Rank Officer ID No Sworn and subscribed before me, the undersigned authority
L. BREVIK OFFICER SP WN992 This the ______ day of _________________, __________
DEPUTY OF THE COURT, NOTARY OR LAW ENFORCEMENT
Officer Agency
OFFICER
FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Officer Signature