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5 months ago
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Police have faced demands to be prosecuted after a patrol car rammed a cow twice, leaving it with a large cut on its leg.
Wildlife TV presenter Chris Packham was among those condemning the 'brutal' actions of the police force, which said it had been left with no choice but to knock down the animal after it presented a risk to the public.
He wrote: 'I don't know where to start with this. But it's surely illegal and must be investigated and prosecuted.
'What sort of monster rams a calf? Twice?'
Video footage captured an officer's car smashing into the animal, which was strolling down the street last night having escaped from its enclosure.
After being knocked to the ground, the bovine had barely got itself on its feet when the same car raced forward and rammed into it again.
Chris Packham has condemned police for ramming a cow running loose on a street, adding that officers had to be 'investigated and prosecuted'
A police vehicle was captured ramming down a cow in the middle of a street last night after it escaped from its enclosure
The animal was captured getting to its feet before the vehicle rammed it to the ground again. Surrey Police said the cow was 'in distress'
Online users were quick to condemn the force's apparent 'brutality' and criticised it for not acting more humanely.
One said: 'For real, this could have been done safely. No need to be brutal like that. What a joke.'
'This is disgraceful, I can not believe what I've just seen.'
The cow was running loose at around 8.55pm on Friday night in Staines-upon-Thames, causing disruption to traffic in the local area. Police said they had received several reports of it running at members of the public and damaging a car.
Surrey Police said officers had tried unsuccessfully for hours to safely capture the cow, after which a decision was made to use the police car to stop it from running off.
The force said it would be referring itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in relation to the incident.
It added the cow had since been taken to a vet and was receiving continued treatment after sustaining 'a large cut' to its leg.
Chief Inspector Sam Adcock said: 'I know that this has caused distress and I'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.'
Surrey Police said in a statement that officers turned to the police car to stop the cow after other less drastic methods failed. The force will refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct
Online users labelled the force's actions as brutal and 'a joke', adding that the cow could have been captured and removed safely
Another responded that the incident was 'disgraceful' and said they 'can not believe what I've just seen'
In an earlier statement published on Friday evening the force said the animal became 'increasingly distressed' while it was being taken to safety. The cow was moved to a local park where it was waiting for a vet.
Chief Inspector Adam Tatton said: 'We know that this has caused some distress within the local community this evening, and I would like to reassure you that we are doing all we can to identify the owners and ensure the cow is seen as quickly as possible by a vet
'Our priority when responding to any incident is first and foremost the safety of the public. I would like to thank the community for their understanding this evening, and ask that they stay away from the park while officers are on scene.'
A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: 'This is upsetting and distressing to watch.
'We will be getting in touch with the police urgently to understand the circumstances as to what happened.'
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