Police on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast say they made the right decision to fatally shoot a bear outside of a shopping centre in the tiny town of Gibsons.
The shooting was captured on a cell-phone video in which witnesses can be heard shouting repeatedly at police not to kill the bear.
But police say the animal had no fear of people and had become a nuisance by raiding garbage bins at the Sunnycrest Mall.
People living in the area say bears are frequently seen in the area, and don't pose a threat to residents.
"Bears are around here all the time, they're everywhere," says resident Conor Lowe. "It is bear country and you come to expect it. And you know if you put your garbage out a day ahead of time you're likely going to find a bear going through it."
Normally, conservation officers are called in to assist with aggressive bear sightings, but in this case they were not available. Mounties made the decision to kill the bear because they deemed it to be a danger to customers at the shopping centre.
Gibsons resident Janeth Lesko was clearly traumatized by the experience of watching the bear being shot.
"The cry of the bear was amazing. It was sickening,'' she said.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson.
