Photo:Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office
Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office
Steven Jackson was sitting in a chair near his campsite in Prescott, Arizona when a black bear attacked and killed him.
“They tried to get the bear to stop attacking him, there was honking horns, different things they were doing,” Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes said, perNBC News. “There was no success in stopping the attack.”
During a press briefing, Rhodes said the bear dragged Jackson about 75 yards down an embankment and “was in the process of consuming him.”
The victim was already deadwhen someone grabbed their rifle and shot the bear, killing it.
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Darren Tucker, a field supervisor with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, called the incident “extremely unusual.”
“This attack appears to be predatory in nature,” Tucker said toABC News. “[It’s] not the norm.”
Wildlife officials are unsure what caused it, according toFox News.
The bear in question appeared to be healthy and showed no signs of sickness or disease, Tucker said.
A necropsy, an autopsy for an animal, will be performed, Tucker told NBC News.
According to Tucker, bear attacks often involve “some nexus to food.”
“Nothing jumped out at us as being obvious of why this occurred,” he said. An investigation is ongoing.
Wildlife officials said there were no prior reports of a dangerous bear in the area, and with the offending bear dead, there is no remaining threat.
The sheriff’s office has advised people to not shoot bears “unless there is an immediate threat.” Otherwise, it’s a crime.
Rhodes called the incident unique and tragic, citing “shock and disbelief” at what responders found.
He said Jackson was “well-liked” in his close community.
“Our sincere sympathies go out to Mr. Jackson’s family,” Rhodes said in a statement to Fox News. “I cannot express how deeply sad this situation is and can only say our prayers are with you.”
source: people.com
