Police kill bear that was roaming in shore town

UNION BEACH, N.J. (AP) - Police at the New Jersey shore have shot and killed a bear that was roaming through the town.

In a Facebook post, Union Beach police say the bear initially was spotted in a tree between two homes Saturday night.

Officers cleared bystanders from the area, but after four hours the bruin headed toward a heavily populated area instead of toward a marsh.

Police said in the post that they contacted the state Division of Fish and Wildlife to request a team to tranquilize the bear, but were denied.

A Fish and Wildlife spokesman said Sunday it doesn’t tranquilize bears using chemical mobilization drugs during nighttime hours, due to safety concerns.