ST. PAUL (WCCO) — St. Paul Police say they were advised to shoot and kill a bear roaming in the Frogtown neighborhood.

West district officers were dispatched to the area near Dale Street and Lafond Avenue around 12:30 a.m. Sunday morning after receiving a report about a black bear walking the streets.

Police tracked the bear as it went up a tree in the area of 564 Charles Ave.

That’s when officers set up a perimeter around the bear then contacted the Department of Natural Resources.

St. Paul Police Sgt. Paul Paulos says under advisement from the DNR they were told to shoot the bear versus tranquilizing.

“In this matter we do confer with the Department of Natural resources,” said Sgt. Paulos. “They are the expert in this area and we go with their advisement.”

Once the bear came down from the tree, it was killed.

“We look at the public safety issue here,” said Sgt. Paulos. “What is the danger to the public if the bear gets out? With police in the area neighbors are going to be coming out to see what’s going on and so forth.”

The age of the bear and how much it weighed is not yet known.
Sgt. Paulos says this is the second incident in the last six months involving a bear in a neighborhood. The other incident occurred in the eastside bluff area.

“I think the animals are just getting pressured and are looking for food,” said Sgt. Paulos. “To see a black bear in a real urban type neighborhood, it’s very rare.”