Sudbury police reviewing shooting of injured bear cub by officer

Sudbury police say they are reviewing an incident in which an injured bear cub was shot by an officer on Thursday morning.

Officers were called in after the bear was found to have been struck by a vehicle. According to a post on the Greater Sudbury Police Service Facebook page, the bear could not move and was struggling to breathe.

Police say the officers did not have the equipment to safely deal with an injured wild animal, and "dispatched" the cub to end its suffering.

"This is not a situation that any officer wants to be in and the Police Service attempted to find an alternative before the officers made the decision to dispatch the cub," the Facebook post states.

The incident has since sparked outrage on social media, after a woman who stopped to help the bear posted videos and photos to Facebook.

In the post, Anne Chadwick says she called 911 for help and was shocked when she was told by police that the cub would be killed. She says the bear was then shot four times by an officer.

Chadwick says she was told shooting the bear was "standard procedure." 

Police say all incidents where a firearm is discharged, including when an animal is killed are reviewed.