Port Moody Police had to deal with a very different kind of auto crime after a bear found itself locked in a car early Friday morning.
Police say officers were called to a home on Ioco Road for a report of a theft from a vehicle in progress.
On arrival, it was clear they weren’t going to arrest a human, but rather help a black bear that was trying to get out of the homeowners’ car.
Video of the bizarre encounter was shared by the residents with police, who posted it on social media later Friday.
“How does this even happen?” the person shooting the video asks. “How does a bear get into somebody’s car and lock the door?”
“As more members arrived on scene to assist with containment, it was apparent the suspect gained entry with his bear hands,” Port Moody Police spokesperson Sgt. Rob Degoey said in a cheeky media release.
WATCH: (Aug. 16) Bear opens car door, decides to walk instead
Members of the BC Conservation Officer Service were also called to assist, and eventually opened the door to let the bear out.
“The suspect was unharmed and free to embrace its newfound freedom,” Degoey said.
Police are reminding residents to keep their doors locked and keep garbage bins secured.
A similar incident happened to a woman house-sitting in the nearby village of Anmore last month, who found a bear had opened both doors of her car for a peek inside.
As the person shooting this latest video says, “Only in Port Moody.”