Police officer who rammed escaped cow returns to frontline duties after ‘heavy-handed’ incident sparked massive backlash
A Surrey Police officer who rammed an escaped cow with a police vehicle will return to frontline duties after being cleared of wrongdoing, the force has confirmed.
Despite receiving more than 22,000 complaints and messages from the public, Surrey Police said that a thorough investigation found the controversial tactic was both lawful and necessary during the June incident in Staines-upon-Thames.
The case sparked widespread criticism after footage of police ramming the 10-month-old calf, named Beau Lucy, went viral on social media.
The cow has since recovered from her injuries and remains with her herd.
The dramatic incident unfolded after midnight on June 15 when police responded to reports of a loose animal in Staines-upon-Thames.
Video footage showed the cow running loose in a residential street as a member of the public fled the scene.
A marked police 4×4 vehicle was then seen ramming the young cow along the tarmac before pinning her down, shocking nearby residents.
Surrey Police said there had been earlier reports of the cow charging at people and damaging cars across the town that night.
The animal suffered a large cut to her leg during the incident.
A five-month investigation reviewed over 250 pieces of video footage and 75 witness statements to determine if the incident constituted unnecessary suffering to an animal.
The professional standards department, overseen by a senior investigating officer (SIO), led both criminal and internal misconduct investigations.
The SIO concluded that while the footage was distressing, the officers involved acted within their duties.
The tactics were deemed both lawful and necessary to prevent harm to the public and property.
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Following a review by the head of professional standards, it was determined that while individual learning was needed, no further action would be taken regarding misconduct.
Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp acknowledged the significant public reaction to the incident, which generated more than 20,000 social media messages and 2,000 complaints.
“After investigating for five months, the SIO found that while there is necessary organisational learning in relation to how we handle loose livestock, no criminal offences were made out,” DCC Kemp said.
The force has committed to reviewing recommendations made by the SIO and experts in handling loose livestock incidents.
Surrey Police pledged to address these recommendations promptly to reduce the likelihood of similar incidents occurring in the future.
The driver of the police vehicle will resume frontline duties “in due course”.
Then-Home secretary James Cleverly was among prominent figures who criticised the police response at the time of the incident.
“I can think of no reasonable need for this action,” Cleverly posted on X. “I’ve asked for a full, urgent explanation for this. It appears to be unnecessarily heavy-handed.”
Despite the criticism, Surrey Police has committed to sharing any best practices developed from this incident with forces across the UK.
The force emphasised its commitment to implementing changes in protocols for handling loose livestock, aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future.