Distressing video shows police ram into cow on the loose after chasing it through Staines

A harrowing video showing a police ranger vehicle ramming into a cow and sending it flying has gone viral. A 26-second clip shared on X, filmed at around 9pm on Friday (June 14), shows the farmyard animal on the loose on a residential street having escaped in Staines-upon-Thames before the big police vehicle speeds up and crashes into it.

The force was so great that smoke can be seen rising from the road as the cow made impact on the ground, leaving its body flailing. The cow - clearly disorientated - then struggles to get to its feet before the car drives into it again, leaving it beneath the front bumper.

A shocked member of the public then yells ‘you can’t just do that’ at the police who responded with ‘out the way now’. The person filming the footage from their window is also heard saying “what the f*** was that?”

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Despite footage on X stating the video was filmed in West London in Feltham, Surrey Police told MyLondon the chase was carried out in Staines-upon-Thames. Horrified viewers shared their distress in the comments sections of where the clip was shared on social media.

One X user wrote: “That is vile, not running the cow over once but twice." A second penned: “Jesus Christ couldn't they have darted it?! [It would have been put to] sleep within 30 seconds. It was more like a calf than a cow.”

A Surrey Police spokesperson said: “on Friday evening (June 14), at around 8.55pm, we received reports that a cow was running loose in Staines-upon-Thames. The cow was running loose throughout the evening on a number of main roads and during this time, we received numerous calls from the public reporting a car being damaged and it running at members of the public.

“Given these reports, officers were extremely concerned about the public safety, and over a period of a number of hours tried a number of options to safely capture the cow. Unfortunately, these were unsuccessful, and the decision was made to stop it using a police car. This matter has been referred to our Professional Standards Department.

“The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has been notified and a voluntary referral will be made in due course. With support from a member of the public, the cow was moved to a nearby farm in the early hours of the morning (Saturday, June 15).

“The owner has been located and the cow’s injuries have been assessed by a vet. The cow sustained a large cut to its leg, and the vet is overseeing its continued treatment and recovery.”

Home Secretary demands ‘urgent explanation’

The Home Secretary James Cleverly has asked for a “full, urgent explanation” as to why officers used the police car to ram the escaped cow. In a post on X, former Twitter, Mr Cleverly wrote: “I can think of no reasonable need for this action. I’ve asked for a full, urgent explanation for this. It appears to be unnecessarily heavy handed.”

'Decision to use police car only taken after other methods to stop the cow had failed'

Chief Inspector Sam Adcock from Surrey Police said: “I know that this has caused distress and I’d like to thank the community for their concern. The decision to use the police car is one that was only taken after other methods to stop the cow had failed. There will be an investigation into the actions that led to this, but our focus at all times is on ensuring the safety of the public.

“I know there are videos circulating of this incident, which the public may find distressing. I would ask that these videos are sent directly to us to help with our investigation.”

An RSPCA spokesperson said: “This is upsetting and distressing footage to watch. We will be getting in touch with the police urgently to understand the circumstances as to what happened.”

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