Officials shoot bear suspected of attacking JBLM employee on base

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers shot and killed a black bear within 100 yards of where a JBLM employee was attacked last week.

According to the Tacoma News Tribune, officers using hounds located the bear around 10 a.m. Tuesday. They said the 310-pound bear began chasing the dogs, and that is when officer shot the bear.

Officials said they believe this is the same bear from last week's attack because the animal's teeth matched the measurements of the victim's bite marks.

Base officials closed Engineer Bluff on the Lewis Main training area Thursday afternoon. They said a civilian employee was on the trails of the bluff running with his dog early in the afternoon when he was attacked by a bear.

He was taken to the Madigan Army Medical Center where he was treated and released.