The police driver who intentionally hit and ran over a cow who had escaped in Staines-upon-Thames, England, on the 15th of June 2024, leading to 2,000 complaints from the public after a video clip of the vent was shared on social media, has been cleared of any wrongdoing after an investigation.
On the day of the incident, the officer driving the police car deliberately ran the cow over twice — allegedly to end her attempt to escape a short life of misery on a farm. A video of the police attack circulated on social media, and it showed the escaped cow being hit once, trying to stand up and flee, and being hit a second time with her head becoming trapped under the vehicle. Surrey Police announced the driver involved had been removed from frontline duties pending the investigation, but now that he has been cleared, he will resume such duties.
A police spokesperson told the BBC, “While footage of the incident was distressing in nature, those involved in the incident acted within their duties, and the tactics adopted were both lawful and necessary to prevent harm to the public and property. As such, no further action will be taken in either the criminal investigation or the internal misconduct matter.”
Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp said, “We appreciate the strength of feeling which remains in relation to this incident, which is why we committed to conducting a diligent and thorough investigation to determine whether any criminal offences had taken place. We have already made changes to our protocol for loose livestock.”
The 10-month-old calf, later named Beau Lucy, survived the incident and remains at a farm with her herd. This means that she will most likely be killed in a slaughterhouse with the other cows.
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