John Rocha, 82, of Windsor Locks has been portrayed as a heartless man who shot and killed a momma bear in his backyard simply to protect his birdfeeder, but Rocha said he shot the bear to protect his neighbor's children.
In a letter to the court that Rocha entitled “The Bear Truth,” he recounted a four-day period in January during which he said he was “terrified” by the bear as it “tore” through his neighbor’s trash with “heavy claws.”
Rocha told the judge that the neighbors’ children play in that same area an “I shuttered when I thought of what could happen.”
He called 911, he said, and was told police were tracking the animal, but they came and left without getting out of their car.
Not only was Rocha scared for his neighbors, but he was also afraid the protective momma bear might “shred” him, so he shot it, Rocha said.
Since the shooting, Rocha has received a lot of angry, vile hate mail, some of which he shared with the judge at a hearing on Tuesday morning in Enfield.
After seeing the letters, the judge said simply, “You've suffered enough,” and granted Rocha accelerated rehabilitation.
Local
He is also required to do community service, which he already does through Meals on Wheels.
