Man who claimed self-defense is convicted of killing 3 bears

Published January 29, 2016

A New Jersey man who said he shot three bears on his property to defend himself and his wife has been convicted of illegally killing them.

The New Jersey Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1PYPwrt ) that 76-year-old Robert Ehling was also found guilty Thursday of a weapons offense. Municipal Court Judge James Devine ordered him to pay more than $4,000 in penalties.

Devine says the Sparta man's actions in 2014 were those of a vigilante. The judge says there's no indication that even a game warden or police officer would have had the right to shoot the bears. Devine says Ehling wasn't being threatened by them.

Defense attorney George Dagget says he's going to recommend that his client appeal the judge's decision.

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Information from: The New Jersey Herald (Newton, N.J.), http://www.njherald.com

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