Fury grows as shocking footage shows police ram runaway cow with patrol car

June 15, 2024, 5:12 p.m. | Updated: June 15, 2024, 11:15 p.m.

Fury is growing after footage appearing to show police ramming a free cow with a police car surfaced online.

In the video, which was posted to social media on Saturday, appears to show a Surrey Police vehicle ramming a cow that was standing on a residential street.

The cow, stunned, then gets up, before being hit a second time by the police car.

After the second impact, the cow remained on the ground and the officers got out of their vehicle to assess the situation.

After the images were released, the interior minister took to social media to call for a formal investigation.

Posting on X, James Cleverly wrote: “I see no reasonable necessity for this action.

“I have requested a full and urgent explanation on this matter. This appears to be unnecessarily harsh,” added the interior minister.

Warning: Readers may find the images below disturbing

The incident happened on Friday evening in Staines-upon-Thames, a market town in northwest Surrey, England.

In the video, bystanders can be heard reacting with shock and horror to the incident.

Following the release of the footage, Surrey Police released a statement, saying they responded to reports of a cow on the loose in Staines-upon-Thames at around 8.55pm on Friday evening.

Police note that “the cow was on the loose throughout the evening on several main roads and during this time we received numerous calls from the public reporting that a car had been damaged and was heading towards members of the public.

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“Given these reports, officers were extremely concerned for the safety of the public and, over the course of several hours, tried several options to safely capture the cow.

“Unfortunately these attempts were unsuccessful and it was decided to arrest him using a police car. This matter has been referred to our Professional Standards Department.

“The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has been informed and a voluntary referral will be made in due course.”

The cow was eventually moved to a nearby farm in the early hours of June 15, according to police, assisted by a member of the public.

Following the news, a spokesperson for the Independent Office for Police Conduct said: “We have been informed by Surrey Police of this incident and a referral will be made in due course.

“When we receive it, we will conduct an assessment to determine what additional steps we need to take.”

Others who saw the clip online also condemned the police actions.

Wildlife presenter and campaigner Chris Packham said: “I don’t know where to start with this.

“But surely it’s illegal and should be investigated and prosecuted. What kind of monster pokes a calf? Twice?”

Another person said: “It was completely unnecessary and totally above the force needed for the risk. »

The released video is less than 30 seconds long, so it may not contain the context that informed the officers’ actions.

Chief Inspector Adam Tatton said: “We know this has caused some distress to 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 be seen as quickly as possible. by a veterinarian.

“Our priority when responding to any incident is the safety of the public above all else. I would like to thank the community for their understanding this evening and ask them to stay away from the park while officers are on scene.

A similar incident, which took place in 2021, saw officers from Thames Valley Police ram and kill a fleeing cow in Berkshire.

The incident was not considered to meet the criteria for a referral to an independent oversight body and was therefore not investigated.

An IOPC spokesperson said at the time: “Having carried out a thorough assessment, we determined that the information provided by Thames Valley Police did not meet the criteria to be referred to us and the matter was therefore was returned to the force. »