Shocking video has captured the moment a UK cop repeatedly rammed his patrol car into an escaped 10-month-old calf, resulting in him being yanked from frontline duties.
The footage shows the speeding cop car crash into the escaped animal, named Beau Lucy, in Surrey Friday, as a witness exclaimed, “Woah! What the f–k!” from a home above the street.
The calf was thrown several feet forward on the road before the cop car slammed into it a second time, seemingly trying to stop the animal in its tracks.
Witness Kai Bennett, 22, said he saw the animal get struck by the vehicle five times.
“A big police 4×4 turned up and hit the cow at about 30mph. I went ballistic. The cow wasn’t hurting anyone. They did it again and this time they pulled forward so the car was pinning it down by the neck. It was disgusting,” Bennett told The Times of London.
Neighbors were screaming in horror as the incident unfolded, with many thinking the animal was dead, Bennett said.
The cop car was driven into the calf several times before the animal was eventually coaxed into a horsebox by three men.
The calf’s owner, Rob, said that he had no idea how she escaped, and only learned of her disappearance after watching the horrifying footage of her capture on social media.
“She actually escaped with another cow and they got separated. We had no idea until we got a call about the other cow. When we went to collect her on Saturday morning the people there asked if we were aware of this other escaped animal. That’s when we saw social media and it was horrible to watch,” he told the newspaper.
He called the footage “very upsetting.”
“I think it was a case of urban police not knowing how to handle the situation. I can understand they thought she might be a danger to others but all it takes is a tranquilizer dart,” he said.
Beau Lucy is now recovering in a barn. She had no broken bones but it was not immediately clear if she was bleeding internally.
Rob’s partner told the paper the cop should be fired and suggested that Beau Lucy could still die of shock following the traumatic incident.
Surrey Police said the decision was taken to use a police car to stop the animal after officers “tried a number of options to safely capture the cow” and were “extremely concerned about the public’s safety.”
Police added that the officer driving the squad car has been “removed from frontline duties” pending the outcome of an investigation. Their identity has not been released.
“As well as our overriding duty to protect the public, the welfare of animals is important to us, and we know people want answers about how this happened and what led up to it,” Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp said.
David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
