Officer who hit a cow with police car set to return to frontline duties
29th November 2024
An officer who took part in the incident that saw a cow being hit by a police car in Staines-upon-Thames this summer has been cleared of wrongdoing.
Surrey Police confirmed that this incident has been “thoroughly investigated as both a criminal and internal misconduct matter” and has now concluded.
The investigators reviewed over 250 pieces of video footage, 75 witness statements and obtained the expert opinions of animal welfare specialists to determine if the actions of those involved on the night amounted to the offence of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
They said that while footage of the incident was distressing in nature, those involved in the incident acted within their duties, and the tactics adopted were both lawful and necessary to prevent harm to the public and property.
As such, no further action will be taken in either the criminal investigation, or the internal misconduct matter.
Painful to watch
The incident happened on Friday evening, 14th June, and saw a Surrey Police officer hitting an escaped 10-month-old calf that was walking through the streets of Feltham in west London.
Surrey Police then issued a statement stating that the officers were “extremely concerned” about the public’s safety, and had been trying to capture the cow “over a period of a number of hours”.
The force added that after these actions were unsuccessful, and the decision was made to “stop it using a police car”.
The owner of the 10-month-old calf, called Beau Lucy, said the social media footage of the incident was “painful viewing, and it should have been handled in a different manner”.
It has now been confirmed that the cow is well and remains at the farm with her herd.
READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson speaks out after cow was hit twice by police car
Police Officer rammed Cow in Surrey, England 🏴
— Ravinder Singh🇬🇧 (@ravindraJourno) June 17, 2024
Police officer's Inhumane behaviour in Surrey, England. Later on, the officer has been removed from Frontline duties while an internal investigation is conducted.#Surrey #England @ravindraJourno pic.twitter.com/JyAFN3ErIf
No further action will be taken
Deputy chief constable, Nev Kemp, said today: “We appreciate the strength of feeling which remains in relation to this incident, which is why we committed to conducting a diligent and thorough investigation to determine whether any criminal offences had taken place in relation to the actions taken by Surrey Police on the night.
“This involved gathering substantial amounts of video evidence, as well as speaking to witnesses, and animal welfare specialists to help inform the SIOs decision making.
“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 and therefore no further action should be taken against those who were involved.”
Deputy chief constable added that the force “determined a need for individual learning”, however, no further action will be taken in relation to the misconduct. The officer who was the driver of the vehicle will return to frontline duties in due course.
“This incident has highlighted several issues in relation to how the police respond to a loose livestock incident and therefore, as a force, we want to do what we can to reduce the possibility of any event like this happening again, not just in Surrey but anywhere in the country.
“We have reviewed the recommendations made by the SIO and experts in this area, and will be working to address these promptly, sharing any best practice with Forces across the UK,.
“We have already made changes to our protocol for loose livestock. These changes were developed in partnership with a new national advice working group, which we established following the incident, to seek guidance from experts including the British Animal Rescue and Trauma Care Association, British Cattle Veterinary Association, National Farmers Union, and the National Rural Crime Unit. I am grateful to them for their support and guidance,” deputy chief constable concluded.
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