Police investigation into cow ramming incident is now a criminal matter as they visit 500 homes as part of probe

25 July 2024, 17:45

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

Police investigating an incident in which a cow was rammed by officers in a car say it is now being considered as a criminal matter.

It comes after LBC learned that the police had visited 500 premises, as the probe continues nearly five weeks on - at huge expense.

Beau Lucie, a ten-month-old calf, was hit twice by police in the Surrey town of Staines in June. It was said to have been on the loose for several hours and rammed a police car.

Footage of the incident went viral and sparked outrage, with then-leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer expressing concern, as well as then-Home Secretary James Cleverly.

The cow was left with a cut on its leg, as well as several other minor injuries, but was returned to its farm and has since been recovering.

Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp said: “This significant update demonstrates why a thorough investigation is important, as it ensures all potential criminal and misconduct matters are clearly understood.

“This does, of course, take time. Since the incident, we have received in excess of 20,000 messages on social media and 2,000 complaints from the public, highlighting the strength of feeling about this case.

“It is therefore of greatest importance to conduct a diligent investigation so we can provide the owner of Beau Lucy, and the public, with answers as to how this incident happened and the events which led up to it.

“We remain committed to providing significant updates relating to this incident on our website as and when we have them.”

Surrey Police launched an internal investigation into the incident, led by a senior officer who usually looks into murders. The officer who rammed the cow was taken off frontline duty.

Over a month after the incident, the force told LBC that they had gone house-to-house at 500 premises along the route the cow took to appeal for witnesses as part of their investigation.

Officers have contacted 75 witnesses and received 250 video clips.

Police said in a statement: "The investigation into the events of 15 June is being led by our Professional Standards Department and overseen by a Senior Investigating Officer from the Surrey Police and Sussex Police Major Crime Team.

"As with all of our investigations, the thoroughness and integrity of the process is of the upmost importance.

"Due to the duration of the incident, and the route travelled, this is a significant undertaking.

"House-to house visits and letter drops are being carried out at 500 premises along the route to appeal for witnesses and information, as well as any CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage. This has already resulted in 75 witnesses being contacted and 250 clips of video footage being submitted, which are all being reviewed as part of the ongoing investigation.

"This process will take time, and although we do not have immediate answers, we want to reassure the public that we are conducting a comprehensive investigation and looking at all avenues. We will also continue to provide updates to our website as, and when, we have them."

A former senior Surrey Police officer has told LBC the cost of the investigation could be in the tens of thousands, even approaching the £50,000 figure.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey Lisa Townsend said: “I am well aware of the strength of feeling and distress the incident involving the cow in Staines-upon-Thames caused in the local community and with the wider public.

“It is clear from the large volume of comments and correspondence that my office has received that people want answers about what happened and why.

“This remains an operational policing matter, however I have been kept updated on the progress of Surrey Police’s investigation into the events of that night. That investigation is focused on the actions taken and will consider both potential criminal offences and misconduct.

“That is why it is important that a full understanding of what took place is properly established. I appreciate people will be eager for this investigation to conclude as swiftly as possible and I share that desire.

“But we must also allow time for this process to be completed as thoroughly as possible so that the right outcome is reached in this case.”

Warning: some readers may find the below footage disturbing

Footage shows one of the times Surrey Police ram escaped cow

Footage initially emerged of Surrey Police officers hitting the cow twice in a bid to restrain it before it was left wounded in a park for two hours.

In a later video posted to social media, the cow runs around a residential area of Staines before being hit by the car.

Sir Keir said he was "really shocked" by the incident, adding: "I think anybody who saw that footage would be shocked.

Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp said in June: "I fully appreciate the distress our handling of this incident has caused and will ensure that it is thoroughly and diligently investigated."

"At this time, the officer who was driving the police car has been removed from frontline duties pending the outcome of these investigations," he added.

The owner of a cow also called for the officers involved to be fired.

Read more: New ‘heartbreaking’ videos show close up of ‘3rd or 4th attempt’ as police ram 4x4 into terrified cow

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Kate, the partner of the farmer who owns the cow, said: "Honestly, when I saw the video, I thought he should lose his job.

"I just thought it was disgusting, I couldn't believe it," she told Sky News.

"I don't know if it was his decision to drive at the animal or whether he was instructed to, but the police, when they got out of the car looked pretty agitated themselves."

She said it was a shame she hadn't been contacted by the police about the cow or called a vet to use a tranquiliser on it.

Kate said the cow "wasn't that out of control, just spooked".

She added: "I can only imagine the police that did it have no idea about farm animals.

Kate added that the cow may have escaped by swimming across a river next to the field it was grazing in.

Read more: Fury grows as shock footage shows police ramming escaped cow with squad car

Read more: Shock as police ram escaped cow on the street, as officers say it 'was hurt while being moved to safety'

She said the cow has now been seen by a vet and is eating and drinking again, but was "really agitated" and "really scared".

Police officers that rammed their car into an escaped cow 'need suspending', says caller

Emma Slawinski, RSPCA Director of Policy, said: "We would always recommend that, for example, police forces are trained in how to deal with animals and in fact I know that happens with a lot of particularly rural police forces. They're often in touch with farmers as well, of course, because farmers have big machinery, they might need to be moved or, you know, they tend to have good relationships with their local police force.

"So there may have been other options that could have been considered taking some expert advice, for example, but it's not really appropriate for me to comment because I don't know the circumstances here.

"All I can say from the video is that it is hugely distressing. It's horrible to watch and action does need to be taken, and it does appear to be a completely disproportionate reaction to what was happening."