A witness said he was 'disgusted' at seeing the police ram a terrified calf with their squad car as people call for the officers to be sacked.
Kai Bennetts, 22, said the young cow was left with an 'open gash' and 'loads of grazes where the skin had come off' after it was hit by the police car and thrown several metres down the road.The useless bastards knew they were going to get a well-deserved kicking for this, so the modern TSG waded in - the social media spin team:
Which blatent lying might have worked, if not for the many, many videos of a small half grown calf (not a 'cow' at all) wandering tamely around the streets.
A length of rope to make an improvised headcollar would have been a better option but today's modern university graduate police officer can't be expected to deal with livestock sensibly and calmly, clearly.
Home Secretary James Cleverly also asked for a 'full, urgent explanation' as to why officers appeared to use a police car to hit an escaped cow. He said the police action seemed 'unnecessarily heavy handed'.
The RSPCA described the footage as 'upsetting and distressing' and said the police 'action appears disproportionate to the situation'.
This was no bike riding phone thief - if this was the only course of events they could think of, then they do not deserve to wear the uniform.
But I doubt they'll worry about the referral to the IOPC too much, they've got away with worse.
Update: shortly after I scheduled this post, more detailsmore details came to light - they rammed the poor beast FIVE TIMES, not two, and the pressure of public opinion has forced them to suspend the driver. Although since I doubt the driver took the action on his own initiative, the real culprit in HQ is no doubt yet to be found.
Over at NO there is this.....
ReplyDeleteInfo from my mate in Surrey Police suggests that, as usual, the media either fails or refuses to tell the whole story. The cow, or calf, allegedly caused 3 road traffic collisions, and injured several pedestrians. The attempts by Police to capture the cow (no Meghan, I'm not talking about you), had taken several hours. The RSPCA refused to turn out as the animal was not being ill treated, and there were no specialist organisations or persons to assist, Info from my mate in Surrey Police suggests that, as usual, the media either fails or refuses to tell the whole story. The cow, or calf, allegedly caused 3 road traffic collisions, and injured several pedestrians. The attempts by Police to capture the cow (no Meghan, I'm not talking about you), had taken several hours. The RSPCA refused to turn out as the animal was not being ill treated, and there were no specialist organisations or persons to assist, neither were there any firearms units available to sedate the animal. Following an alleged lack of leadership from control, the Police driver is said to have acted the way he did to prevent further traffic collisions and to precedent further injuries to the public. Of course, being a Police officer, he will be guilty unless he can prove his innocence. When the full story comes out, I wonder how many members of the media will give an impartial update?
Following an alleged lack of leadership from control, the Police driver is said to have acted the way he did to prevent further traffic collisions and to precedent further injuries to the public. Of course, being a Police officer, he will be guilty unless he can prove his innocence. When the full story comes out, I wonder how many members of the media will give an impartial update?
The important phrase is.... "neither were there any firearms units available to sedate the animal".
This event was only a few miles from Heathrow, where there could be a terrorist indecent at any moment, there are no armed officers? As the Surrey Police were involved, I have a question. Why had they crossed the Thames and were outside the area designated to them?
Let’s take a breath here .
ReplyDeleteFirstly the cow was not badly injured
Secondly you have been watching too many rodeos
Thirdly in a few weeks we will be eating him with peppercorn sauce on the side and not crying about how he was killed
Jaded
I understand that Staines (upon Thames), including Feltham, is now part of Surrey Police area.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why no vets would turn out to help deal with this, until the incident was made public when, allegedly, Surrey Police were inundated with vets wanting to help?
Having dealt with errant animals, including full grown cows, a goose, and a pig (no relation), I discovered there is nothing in the Police training manual for dealing with such incidents. The goose incident resulted in a complaint (from the RSPCA, who refused to help on that occasion, too) because I threw my greatcoat over the goose and put it in the boot of the Police car.
Sometimes, Police officers are damned if they do, and damned if they don't.
Now awaiting full report, which the media probably won't bother publishing.
Penseivat (18 years out, and loving it)
Starmer has just announced that he will solve problems like this by implementing a cow on the loose tax
ReplyDeleteJaded
I lived in NE London which contained parts of Epping Forest; not woodlands but open grassland. Certain people had customary rights to graze cattle there and herds would be turned out in the spring to just wander around. They would venture into the high streets and main roads and people’s front gardens: apart from eating the flowers they did no harm. I would suggest that the motorists who had collisions should pay more attention to the road.
ReplyDeleteKJP,and
ReplyDelete"....motorists who had collisions should pay more attention to the road."
This is Staines and Feltham we're talking about.
Penseivat
Let's hope that XL Bullies get the same treatment!
ReplyDeleteDAD - autocorrect is a bitch (no, not Meghan)...
"Info from my mate in Surrey Police suggests that, as usual, the media either fails or refuses to tell the whole story. The cow, or calf, allegedly caused 3 road traffic collisions, and injured several pedestrians. "
ReplyDeleteStrange, then, that with the eyes of the world's media and social media on the incident, no one has come forward with injury or damage?
"The important phrase is.... "neither were there any firearms units available to sedate the animal"."
How about a bucket and a bit of rope - any of those to hand?
"Let’s take a breath here .
Firstly the cow was not badly injured
Secondly you have been watching too many rodeos"
I think any rodeo that featured a half-grown calf rather than full grown bulls wouldn't make much money even in a one-horse town.
"...I discovered there is nothing in the Police training manual for dealing with such incidents. "
That's when you take out the Little Black Book of Common Sense.
"Starmer has just announced that he will solve problems like this by implementing a cow on the loose tax"
Dangerous, in a party that includes Diane Abbott!
"I would suggest that the motorists who had collisions should pay more attention to the road."
I suspect any collisions would have done more damage to the calf - actually surprised the airbags in the cop car didn't seem to go off.
"This is Staines and Feltham we're talking about."
ReplyDeleteGood point!
"Let's hope that XL Bullies get the same treatment!"
Amen!