The Juneau Police Department euthanized a bear after it was struck by a car in the Mendenhall Valley Wednesday night, according to police.<\/p>\n
Shortly after 8 p.m., JPD received a call from a driver who had hit a black bear while driving on Mendenhall Loop Road near Kodzoff Acres Mobile Home Park.<\/p>\n
The bear wasn\u2019t killed on impact. JPD spokesman Lt. David Campbell said the driver informed police that it was walking around on the road in the area and that it seemed \u201cconfused\u201d from the trauma.<\/p>\n
Campbell said when officers responded, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game recommended they euthanize the bear rather than let it suffer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really unfortunate situation when animals and cars come in contact and the animal has to be euthanized, but it\u2019s the humane way to handle it,\u201d Campbell said.<\/p>\n
Katie Damian, a Juneau resident, said the incident happened right behind her house. She witnessed the bear being shot.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe officer had a big ol\u2019 shotgun, and right when I walked out of my house, he shot it,\u201d she said. \u201cI was like holy crap, and the bear went down for the count.\u201d<\/p>\n
Killing the bear was the right move, given its condition, Damian said. The police officers told her afterward that the bear\u2019s two hind legs were broken and that \u201cits face was pretty messed up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Campbell wasn\u2019t able to comment on the condition of the bear.<\/p>\n
The Department of Fish and Game biologist who responded to the call was not available to comment Thursday.<\/p>\n