A bull bound for a slaughterhouse in Massachusetts briefly escaped his fate Monday after crashing into electrified fences, jumping a berm, crossing an interstate highway and swimming in a lake, authorities said.
However, officers in Raynham, south of Boston, shot and killed the 1,300-pound animal when it attacked them, the department said in a news release.
Workers at a nearby farm were loading the bull onto a truck headed to the slaughterhouse on Monday morning when it became frightened and ran through several fences, including some that were electrified, the department said.
The bull jumped a 6-foot berm and ran onto Interstate 495, where it caused a three-vehicle crash, the department said. One of the injured drivers was taken to a local hospital, the department said.
The animal fled into the woods and ran into Lake Nippenticket, where the department said police and ranch employees spotted it swimming offshore.
When the bull began swimming “aggressively” toward the group, the department said, an officer shot the animal with a department-issued rifle.
“The shots were ineffective in stopping the animal, and the bull came out of the water and began attacking those on shore,” the department said.
The police officer fired several more shots, hitting the animal in the leg and incapacitating it, according to the secretariat. The department released a short video from a police officer’s body camera that captured the encounter.
The officer’s rifle was not powerful enough to euthanize the animal, the department said, so the farm owner used a hunting rifle to kill it.
“Facing off with a 1,300-pound bull is not something you go into your shift thinking will happen, but our officers were able to respond and effectively handle the situation and prevent further injury and destruction,” said Raynham Police Chief, David LaPlante, according to the release.
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