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(Flickr user ucumari)

The drunk bear-chaser who was the subject of a viral Facebook post by the North Adams police department launched his assault in a misguided attempt to protect school children, police told MassLive.

The man, whose name has not been released, saw a black bear roaming a residential area near a school and park in North Adams and decided to take matters into his own hands, said North Adams Police Sgt. James Burdick.

"He'd had a few too many to drink," Burdick said. "When the bear came out, he thought to protect the children it'd be a good idea to chase the bear with a dull hatchet."

The man was taken into protective custody by police and inspired an officer on social media duty to post a warning to other amateur forest rangers not to follow in the man's footsteps.

"We understand there are bears in the area. If you see a bear, LEAVE IT ALONE and call us," the Facebook post said. "We certainly don't need anyone going all Davy Crockett chasing it through the woods drunk with a dull hatchet. It is just a bad idea and not going to end well."

Black bears are native to the area and police have received numerous calls of sightings in the last month and a half, Burdick said. The department has been educating the public about removing bird feeders and trash from open areas, and is urging people to leave bear encounters to the professionals.

"We have these little flash bang rounds to scare off the bears," Burdick said. "If you do see a bear, stay away from the bear. Notify the local police department. We will respond."

The Facebook post, written in a tone of despairing confusion as to the bear-chaser's thought process, went viral; it has been shared over 4,000 times and inspired a deluge of calls from news organizations, Burdick said. He would not name the officer who wrote the post, but said the department maintains an active social media presence.

"We try to have fun with certain things," he said.

And though many have found the post amusing, the issue is a serious one, according to Burdick - both for residents and the bears themselves. The department's goal, he said, is to deal with bear encounters non-violently, but if a person antagonizes a bear and it attacks, officers may be forced to put it down.

Burdick has not heard of a bear harming a person in North Adams during his 33 years on the force, he said, and hopes to keep it that way.