Forget the sirens and the high-speed chases. In Elizabeth, New Jersey, the most effective tool in the police arsenal turned out to be ... some well-timed doughnuts.

On May 11, a 160-pound black bear decided a backyard tree was the perfect spot for a marathon nap. His location? Sixty feet up in the tree. For hours, the drowsy, slightly terrifying guy stayed put, leaving local authorities with a logistical headache. Tranquilizers were off the table; a sedated bear falling from that height is a recipe for disaster.

Their solution? A tactical buffet.

Officers skipped the heavy gear and opted for quite an appetizing melange, which included doughnuts, jars of peanut butter, apples and, as the pièce de résistance, a generous coating of caramel spray.

Next, as the Elizabeth Police drone team kept a "bird's-eye" watch from a safe distance, the aroma did the heavy lifting. Eventually, the bear’s stomach overruled its sleep schedule. It climbed down to investigate the spread, allowing responders to secure and relocate the animal without a single scratch to human or beast.

The department leaned into the irony, later joking on social media that every "cop and donut" stereotype finally earned its keep. The bear was released in the wild, healthy, alert and, one would guess, delightfully full.