A REPORT has found that police officers who shot and killed a ‘highly aggressive’ cow which was loose on a busy road in Co. Tyrone acted proportionally.
The office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland released their findings this week after reviewing two incidents in which cows were euthanised by police officers on major roadways.
The first happened on May 15 of this year, when a loose cow was spotted on the Old Eglish Road near Dungannon.
Seen heading towards the A4 dual carriageway, it was described as highly aggressive by drivers who reported the sighting to police.
Traffic was stopped in both directions while armed police officers and eight vets were sent to the scene.
It was quickly decided that due to the cow’s ‘volatility’ the only safe solution was to kill it.
“Despite efforts to subdue the animal safely, the most senior of the vets who attended determined that euthanasia was the only viable option,” a spokesperson for the Ombudsman’s office said.
“This was due to the cow’s volatility and the risk posed to the public, particularly as motorists had started to get out of their vehicles to observe what was happening,” they added.
“Following a coordinated assessment, two officers discharged firearms using specialist ammunition, resulting in the humane destruction of the animal near the central reservation of the A4.”
Following their review, the Ombudsman has found that in euthanising the cow the police acted “proportionally”.
“Police Ombudsman investigators reviewed body-worn video (BWV), footage from police vehicles, and operational logs,” they explained.
“While initial footage showed that there was only one visible shot, further clarification confirmed that two simultaneous shots were fired to the animal’s vital organs due to the distance, safety constraints and the animal’s demeanour.”
They added that the officers’ decision to aim for the cow’s body rather than the head, “which would have been the preferred option”, was made to “ensure a swift and humane outcome, in line with operational guidance and veterinary advice”.
“The Police Ombudsman review of evidence concluded that PSNI officers had carried out the task to protect the public, as well as ensuring the animal did not suffer unnecessarily,” they confirmed.
The second incident happened at 5.30am on May 16 of this year.
Police were called to the M1, between junctions 14 and 13, near Lurgan in Co. Armagh, where a livestock lorry had overturned.
The driver of the lorry was reported as “walking wounded” and both lanes of the road were blocked.
In order to rescue the cows that were trapped inside the articulated lorry, armed officers, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) and specialist vets were all called to the scene.
“Due to concerns about a potential cattle stampede and the possibility of injured animals requiring humane destruction, armed officers were deployed, and a veterinary professional was called in,” the Ombudsman’s office confirmed.
“NIFRS began cutting the roof off the overturned two-deck articulated lorry to extract cattle and the vet identified animals with fractures and unclear conditions,” they explained.
One cow, who could not be rescued and was deemed to be “suffering unnecessarily”, was shot and killed by officers.
“At 9.42am, a specialist firearms PSNI officer euthanised one animal in the lower deck of the trailer that was identified as suffering unnecessarily and could not be reached,” the Ombudsman’s office confirmed.
“The vet also euthanised two further injured animals using the captive bolt method,” he added.
“By 1.18pm all livestock were removed from the trailer and armed officers left the scene four minutes later.
“The Police Ombudsman’s review concluded no issues of police conduct required further investigation.”
In their report the Ombudsman’s office found both incidents were “appropriately notified under automatic procedures” and that “officers acted in accordance with their training, legal powers, and operational protocols”.
“Decisions to euthanise animals were made in consultation with veterinary professionals and, were necessary, to protect the public and animal welfare,” the report adds, before stating “the use of firearms was proportionate, justified, and executed with care and coordination”.
In a statement, the Police Ombudsman’s Director of Investigations, Nikki Davis, said: “Our review of both incidents was important to ensure proper scrutiny over the discharge of police firearms for the humane destruction of animals.
“Public confidence depends on transparency in how such distressing incidents are handled,” he added.
“The public can be reassured that, in these cases, police officers acted with compassion while ensuring the safety of the community was protected.”
See More: Cows, Euthanaisa, Northern Ireland, Police Ombudsman, Tyrone
