Social media users were shocked as footage emerged of an officer using a police car to ram a cow which had escaped and was wandering around the town of Staines-upon-Thames on Friday.
In a statement on Saturday following massive outrage, the Surrey Police Force in England has attempted to justify an officer’s decision to ram his police vehicle into the wayward cow, running the bovine over twice.
The police force said that after receiving reports that a cow was on the loose in public, damaging cars, and running towards members of the public. The police force said that they had for hours “tried a number of options to safely capture the cow.”
Yet after this proved unsuccessful, the officer decided to use his vehicle as a battering ram to incapacitate the cow, running into it twice and ultimately pinning the cow under the front of the car.
Footage of the incident posted on social media has sparked widespread backlash against the police, with even Home Secretary James Cleverly writing: I can think of no reasonable need for this action. I’ve asked for a full, urgent explanation for this. It appears to be unnecessarily heavy-handed.”
Police try to stop an escaped cow by ramming it with their car in Feltham, West London pic.twitter.com/kRTnGRr5SH
— UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) June 15, 2024
The incident has been referred to the Professional Standards Department for review and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has been notified.
The police force said that the cow’s injuries, including a large cut to its leg, have been assessed by a vet who will continue to oversee the animal’s recovery.
Chief Inspector Sam Adcock said in a statement: “I know that this has caused distress and l’d like to thank the community for their concern. The decision to use the police car is one that was only taken after other methods to stop the cow had failed.
“There will be an investigation into the actions that led to this, but our focus at all times is on ensuring the safety of the public.
“I know there are videos circulating of this incident, which the public may find distressing. I would ask that these videos are sent directly to us to help with our investigation.”
