Escaped cow in Surrey rammed police car and charged at people before being hit, watchdog says

A cow that was filmed being struck by a police car in Surrey was charging at people and threatening drivers, a police watchdog has said.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said Wednesday that police footage showed the animal "ramming a police car, charging at members of the public and posing a risk to road users."

The 10-month-old calf escaped in Feltham on Friday, before being hit twice by a police car on a residential road at around 8:55pm.

Videos of the cow being rammed went viral on social media and the actions of Surrey Police were widely criticised.

The police officer who used his car to ram the animal was removed from frontline duties on Sunday.

Home Secretary James Cleverly called for an urgent explanation into what happened, while wildlife presenter and conservationist Chris Packham asked: “What sort of monster rams a calf?”

The IOPC said it would not look into the incident further, but called on Surrey Police to investigate the conduct of officers.

An IOPC spokesman said: “After careful consideration, we have decided that an investigation is required into whether the methods used to contain the cow were appropriate and proportionate in these circumstances, and whether the officers upheld police standards of professional behaviour throughout the incident."

The calf’s owners, named only as Rob and Kate, said allowing Surrey Police to investigate themselves made it easier for the force to justify the action taken.

They added: “We still hold the thought that the handling of this situation was cruel and barbaric.”

Surrey Police said officers tried a number of ways to capture the cow after reports it was running at members of the public and had damaged a car. The decision was then taken to stop it by force using a patrol car.

The calf, named Beau Lucy, was returned to Rob’s farm, located near the border between Surrey and Middlesex, on Saturday morning with bruises, and has since been recovering.

Surrey Police Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp said: “I know how important it is that we provide the public with answers as to how these actions came about and what events led up to it.

“A full and thorough investigation will be led by Surrey Police’s Professional Standards Department and overseen by a senior investigating officer from Surrey and Sussex Police’s Major Crime Team.," he added.

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