Police decision to ram runaway cow ‘lawful and necessary to prevent harm’

A police driver who rammed a runaway cow in a patrol car is to return to frontline duties after an inquest found the tactic was “both legal and necessary”.

Surrey Police have been heavily criticized after footage was released online of a police car ramming a 10-month-old calf after midnight on June 15 following reports of the animal on the loose in Staines-on-Thames.

Police said Friday that the incident was thoroughly investigated as both a criminal case and an internal law enforcement case and is now closed.

The investigation was led by the Professional Standards Unit and supervised by a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO).

Police said the investigation reviewed more than 250 pieces of video footage, 75 witness statements and obtained expert opinions from animal welfare specialists to determine whether the actions of those involved amounted to the crime of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

“The SIO has completed its investigation and determined that while the footage of the incident was disturbing, those involved were acting within the scope of their duties and the tactics used were lawful and necessary to prevent harm to the public and property,” the force said.

“Therefore, no further action will be taken in the criminal investigation or the internal misconduct case.”

Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp said the police appreciate the feelings about the incident, adding: “After a five-month investigation, the SIO found that despite the required organizational training on how we deal with livestock, there was no criminal offence. have been issued and therefore no further action should be taken against those involved.

“This decision was supported by Surrey Police’s Head of Professional Standards, who subsequently investigated whether there had been a potential breach.

“They identified the need for individual training but no further action was taken on the misconduct. The driver of the vehicle will eventually return to frontline duties.”

Mr Kemp said the incident highlighted several issues with how police responded to the loose cattle incident and said they wanted to do everything they could to make it less likely to happen again.

“We have reviewed the recommendations made by the SIO and experts in the field and will work to address them swiftly, sharing best practice with forces across the UK,” he said.

Bo Lucy, the cow, is doing well and has remained at the farm with her herd, police said.