Off-duty L.A. sheriff’s deputy opens fire on bear that charged at his three children

An off-duty Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy shot at and possibly wounded a bear that charged at his three young children Tuesday as they walked toward their home in the San Gabriel Mountains, authorities said.

The deputy and his children arrived to their mountain home just north of La Verne about 6:15 p.m. and began walking up the driveway, where they saw three bears near trash bins, the Sheriff’s Department said in statement.

One of the bears charged at the deputy and his children as he tried to pull them to safety, the department said.

“Fearing for his life, and the lives of his children, the deputy fired several rounds from a handgun toward the bear,” the Sheriff’s Department said.

The three bears ran into nearby brush. Staff from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife looked for the bears but couldn’t find them.

Sheriff’s officials said the bear that charged appeared to have been wounded by the gunfire. The deputy and his children were not injured.

Wardens from the Fish and Wildlife Department visited the scene of the shooting Wednesday afternoon, spokesman Andrew Hughan said. He warned residents that if they see a bear, they shouldn’t approach it or help it. Instead, Hughan said, residents should call 911.

An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 black bears live in California, though the animals are more commonly seen in Central and Northern California.

In Southern California’s foothill communities, sprawling development, raging wildfires and drought have made bear encounters or sightings a more frequent event. Residents have reported bears taking a dip in backyard pools or rummaging through trash bins.

In Glendale, one bear earned national attention when he was caught eating frozen Costco meatballs from a garage refrigerator in 2012.

Wildlife officials emphasize that bear attacks are rare, and in cases when bears do attack, euthanizations are unusual.

The last time a bear was euthanized was in June, when one injured a man who was camping in the Angeles National Forest near Altadena.

The camper was looking at his iPad and his tent fell down on him. He didn’t realize he was injured until he felt blood dripping on his face, officials said. Authorities said it appeared the bear had scratched the man. The cut required 18 stitches.

Because the 120-pound bear injured the camper, Fish and Wildlife officials decided to euthanize the animal.

The nearly 2-year-old female bear, they said, posed a risk to public safety.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

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