Tourist charged in shooting of bear in Gatlinburg ~ Gatlinburg, Tennessee - USA
N 35° 42.390 W 083° 31.544
17S E 271497 N 3954336
A Tennessee man shot a black bear on the second floor of the Gatlinburg Motel 6 on Thursday night, and the bear fled.
Gregory Sapp, 53, of Hixson, was charged with illegal discharge of a weapon and reckless endangerment, according to the Gatlinburg Police Department.
Waymark Code: WM11V3P
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 12/20/2019
Views: 2
PUBLISHED: NOV 9TH, 2019 - 8:20PM (EST)UPDATED: NOV 10TH, 2019 - 11:35PM (EST)
GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WTHR) – Just a few hours south, Gatlinburg, Tennessee is a popular vacation spot for Hoosiers.
Well now a tourist is facing criminal charges after a scary encounter this week.
A black bear showed up outside a man's room at the Motel 6.
The 53-year-old told police it charged at him and his wife so he grabbed his gun and shot at it six times.
Now he's charged with illegally firing his weapon.
"These animals, we're in their territory. It probably scared him and maybe it was attacking, I don't know," neighbor Anthony Gunter said. "I think it was just blown out of proportion. When you leave them be, they leave you be."
The Tennessee Wildlife Agency says if the bear was aggressive the shooting may be justified.
They haven't found the bear to see how many bullets actually hit it.
Type of publication: Television
When was the article reported?: 11/08/2019
Publication: WTHR, virtual and VHF digital channel 13, is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.
Article Url: [Web Link]
Is Registration Required?: no
How widespread was the article reported?: national
News Category: Crime
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