By Dean Weingarten | Contributing writer
On Jan. 19, 2025, a black bear became too familiar with people in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, a community located about 20 miles northwest from Allentown.
An armed Samaritan with a .45-caliber pistol, Mike Bramich, stopped the attack.
It is unusual for people to see black bears out and about in January in Pennsylvania. Most of them are denned up, sleeping through the winter, but on this particular morning, visitors to the Jim Thorpe Market encountered a black bear intent on entering the market.
Potential shoppers started screaming. The bear persisted in attempting to enter the store. People sought safety in their vehicles, according to Andrew Neirner. The bear ran back into the woods on the east side of the parking lot, where there is a faint footpath which leads from the Market to the front of Mike Bramish’ personal detached garage at the end of Silk road.
The garage is about 100 yards away as a straight line ruler measures on a map, and about 100 feet of elevation above the Market. The area is heavily forested, with a ridge to the east of the Market being part of the western slopes of Bear Mountain.
Map by US Geological Survey, public domain, bold letters added.
Nierner lives on Silk Street. He, his wife, and three children are neighbors to the Bramich property. About 11:42 A.M., started down the path toward the market on an errand. He often uses the path, sometimes with his children. As he entered the trail, he saw Bramich go by behind him in his pickup truck.
Andrew had only descended a few yards when he saw the bear. It was coming up the path. He reversed course, and as he emerged from the trail, he saw Bramich at the back of his pickup, only 20 feet away. Andrew started to go toward his home, only three houses away. Then he remembered Mike was hard of hearing. He went to Mike to warn him about the strangely acting bear.
The incident was captured on a security camera and posted on Facebook. Despite its grainy nature, the bear attack can be seen entirely.
Mike’s Sister, Carol, describes Mike as a brilliant man, self-taught, independent, a Harley David Motorcycle mechanic and engineer who traveled the word teaching dealerships how to care for the motorcycles.
Mike did not have military or law enforcement experience. He grew up in the Pennsylvania woods and was a dedicated hunter. Carol said the Bramich living room has a full sized mount of a state record black bear Mike’s father-in-law harvested years ago. Mike regularly practiced with his handgun. He was a dedicated concealed carrier who always carried his .45 caliber handgun holstered on his person. Carol was not certain of the make of Mike’s .45, but she said Sig Sauer was the brand which sounded familiar. Mike carried hollowpoint ammunition in the handgun.
Mike was 67 years old, and recently retired. He was married and had three children of his own. Carol said Mike carried all his life. He was a careful and precise kind of man, who was highly self-educated.
Sig Sauer P220 .45. Image from Rock Island Auction, with permission.
After Andrew told Mike about the bear, the two men moved toward the end of the trail to see if the bear was still coming up, at 11:44 on the video. Andrew said it was clear there was something wrong from the bear. This is where the video coverage recording the front of the detached garage, starts. The temperature is a few degrees below freezing. The wind at the Lehigh Valley airport was from the North, about 9 mph.
The men see the bear coming up the trail. It does not respond to shouting. They back away. They separate. The bear keeps coming. Andrew starts moving to the right, Mike draws his .45. Realizing the bear is following him, Andrew loops back toward Mike. The bear runs at Andrew, jumps up and grabs his arm. As Andrew and the bear struggle, Mike runs up. Andrew starts to go down. Mike fires a shot into the bear’s midsection. The bear and Andrew go down together. Mike has another opportunity and fires again. The bear and Andrew separate. The bear gets up and goes for Andrew’s neck. Mike fires again and the bear goes down again. Mike fires a last, finishing shot to the bears head.
The fight is over. Mike fired four shots. The fight sequence lasted about 10 to 12 seconds. Both men were recognized as behaving well. They received a letter of commendation.
The bear had rabies, which is rare, but occasionally happens. Carol believed the bear was a 350 lb sow. Andrew and some media reports said 200 lbs. One early report estimated the bear weighed 100 lbs.
Andrew had to be treated for rabies. Carol said Mike hated having to shoot the bear out of season. His greatest concern was to make sure he did not hit Andrew while shooting at the bear. Mike closed the distance and fired from point blank range, stopping the attack. Mike died on Dec. 1, 2025 from cancer.
Mike shot the bear and saved Andrew. Andrew could have gone to his house three doors away. Instead, he alerted Mike, and went to face the bear with him, unarmed. Carol said Mike had a sense of responsibility which goes with being a hunter and carrying a firearm. Research has shown people with concealed carry permits are more law abiding than police officers.
The bear had to be killed. If Andrew and Mike had not done their civic duty, another person could have fared far worse.
Dean Weingarten has devoted years to researching and reporting on resisting bear attacks with handguns. He frequently writes for Ammoland News.
