Off-Duty NYPD Cop Fought Off A Black Bear After It Attacked Him In His Garage
ABC 7 NY – An NYPD detective is recovering after being attacked by black bear while off duty.
William Orange encountered the bear around 9:30 Saturday night after working on his wife’s car.
The lights were off when Orange entered his garage.
“I heard a growl and saw big teeth and something grabbed my shirt,” says Orange who took a swing at the animal. “I hit it with my forearm and just ran.”
The father of two was treated at a local hospital after the bear’s claws left four long scratches on his chest and stomach. The bear’s paw tore through the T-shirt he was wearing.
Orange was given a tetanus shot and is being treated with antibiotics. He is awaiting medical clearance to return to work.
Today seems like the perfect day for a story about just how tough members of the NYPD are on a daily basis, even when they’re off-duty. It’s one thing to agree to put your life in danger for the benefit of your neighbors and complete strangers, all in the name of fighting crime. That type of selflessness should never go unnoticed. Beyond that, we still hear countless stories of cops across the country going above and beyond their duties to keep people safe, even if it means putting their own lives in danger.
On the 17th anniversary of the tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks, there’s no better time than today to acknowledge all of the heroes we lost on that day, as hundreds of officers ran towards the same horrific scene that the rest of the city was running from, and show appreciation for the officers that serve us today without hesitation or a single complaint.
Now obviously I’m not trying to compare a black bear attack to 9/11 in any way, but I just think this is another prime example of the type of men and woman we’re all so blessed to be protected by, whether in Manhattan or a small town somewhere that I’ve never heard of. To put it simply, William Orange is one badass cop.
Hearing this guy talk about what happened put a big smile on my face. He was outside working on his wife’s car, entered his dark garage and immediately came face to face with a bear. The bear grabbed him across his chest, but it was obviously no match for one of the many fearless mother fuckers that make up the NYPD.
A quick forearm to the bear’s face, followed by a well-executed retreat was all it took to diffuse the situation. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but take a second and think about all of this.
You’re outside doing some work on your wife’s car, you finally finish and prepare to head inside, crack a cold beer and relax before it’s time to head to bed. You enter your garage beneath the gentle evening moonlight, and before your eyes can even adjust there’s a fucking black bear trying to rip your heart out.
Sounds scary right? I’d have so much shit in my pants they’d have to be thrown in a dumpster down the street. Our guy William Orange wasn’t phased at all.
Sure, the bear left him with a pretty impressive scar across his chest, but I’d love to see what that bear’s face looks like today. That’s what you get for fucking with New York City’s finest.