Calf rammed by police left ‘scared witless’ in a park for ‘two hours’

By Arthur Parashar

01:41 17 Jun 2024, updated 02:06 17 Jun 2024

Shocking new video shows one of the five times a terrified calf was rammed by a police 4×4, leaving the animal ‘scared witless’ and wounded in a park for two hours after the sickening incident. 

Anger has been mounting over the disturbing footage of a Surrey Police officer – who has now been suspended – mowing down a ten-month-old calf named Beau Lucy with a police truck in Staines-upon-Thames on Friday night. 

In a new angle seen by MailOnline, the calf is seen standing in the headlights before it is brutally struck, with furious onlookers screaming: ‘Oh my god, they just killed it, they just rammed it. That’s f***ing animal cruelty. The poor bloody cow.’ 

When another man asks, ‘Why would you ram it like that?’, an officer replies: ‘To stop it killing someone.’ 

A factory worker who stayed with the stricken calf until it was safely transported into a horsebox claimed officers had even been radioing for an armed response to shoot the animal.

Surrey Police has launched an internal investigation and has referred itself to the police complaints watchdog, while Home Secretary James Cleverly branded the incident as ‘heavy handed’.

The calf, which had escaped a fenced moor and may have swam across a river, is back home and recovering after suffering cuts and grazes with a large gash on her leg – but its owners fear it could still die from shock.

Beau Lucy’s owner, known only as Rob, told The Sun that the calf was ‘limping, sulky and bruised’.

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‘We are hoping no damage has been done internally. When we got to her there was no way anyone could examine her,’ he said. She was feisty and upset — scared witless.’

He added: ‘I’m angry, upset and disgusted. We did think they were trying to kill it.’

His wife, Kate, said: ‘Why didn’t they get a vet and use a tranquilliser?’ 

Witnesses said that the animal was struck five times. Warehouse worker Kai Bennett, 22, told The Times that he was walking home after seeing a friend when a group of people ran towards him and shouted ‘cow’.

He said he didn’t want the calf to get hurt so he followed it and called the police. To his horror, he then witnessed the police 4×4 hit the animal ‘at about 30mph’, sending him ‘ballistic’.

Mr Bennett said it was ‘disgusting’ to see the calf pinned down before it managed to get up and walk off ‘very confused’.

He told the newspaper: ‘The police ­officer got back in the car, did a U-turn and ran it over again. Everyone was screaming, thinking it was dead.’

Mr Bennett claims that cow was then hit another two times by the police car, adding: ‘The cow ran into the park and the police asked me to lock one of the gates… It was just me and the calf for about two hours. I was keeping her calm. 

‘At one point we were in the playground. I heard on the police radio them calling for firearms officers, so I stayed with it and told them there’s no way I was letting them shoot it.’

He said he and two other local men eventually guided the calf into a horsebox using a rope to lasso the animal.  

The officer who struck the calf has been removed from frontline duties amid a probe into what happened.

Dep Ch Const Nev Kemp said: ‘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: ‘I know there is much concern around the current welfare of the cow. She is now back with her owner and recuperating with her herd. She did sustain a large cut to one leg and cuts and grazes.

‘She continues to be monitored by a vet and our rural officers are staying in contact with the owner for updates.’

‘I fully appreciate the distress our handling of this incident has caused and will ensure that it is thoroughly and diligently investigated.

‘In addition to an internal referral to our Professional Standards Department, we have also referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for independent consideration.

‘I have also briefed the Home Office on what action we are taking and we are liaising with several animal charities that have been in touch with us about this incident.’

Kate previously told Sky News: ‘It looked like they tried to kill it. Honestly, when I saw the video, I thought [the police ­officer] should lose his job. I just thought it was disgusting, I couldn’t ­believe it. 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.’ 

Kate said Beau Lucy and other cows were put out on Staines Moor to graze and thinks she could have swam across the river and escaped.

‘I don’t know whether she will live. She could die of the shock but hopefully she’ll live’, she added.

Mother-of-three Davinder Kaur filmed the incident from her house and has released further footage.

The 49-year-old said: ‘It was in front of my house. The cow is going through the road, through the footpath. It’s a very small one.

‘Someone called the police. He was very scared to come to the road. The police car hit it.

‘After a few minutes he got up again. The police car hit him again. Then he was hit again. The police blocked it. It was hit around 11pm. Somebody told me it had escaped in Staines.

‘When he hit it we were shocked, very shocked. It was very small, not a big cow. It was no harm to anyone.

‘He was very scared. Everyone was shouting ‘why hit it, why hit’. He (the police officer) was telling us to go back. I don’t know where the mind of the driver was.’

The scared animal is believed to have escaped from a nearby field and had been causing traffic delays as it ran along local streets.

Witnesses say the officers tried to calm the animal for a couple of hours but decided to ram the uncontrollable cow at around 11pm.

In the sickening footage the police officer appeared to line his truck up as the cow entered the middle of the road before ramming it at speed.

As it flails around in the road trying to stand the unnamed officer than proceeds to hit the animal again, trapping its head under the bumper.

Witnesses can be heard shouting ‘what the f**k was that?’ in reaction while a group of locals tried to help the injured cow.

Elisa Allen, VP of Programmes and Operations at PETA said: ‘The young calf must have been completely terrified and confused as they were cruelly and forcefully mown down – by a police car no less – and pinned to the ground.

‘There is no justification for this violence. The police are meant to protect, not harm.

‘An investigation into the actions of the officers involved must urgently be undertaken and the calf safely rehomed at a sanctuary.

‘Anyone upset by this footage can prevent other calves, who are mutilated, exploited, and ultimately killed in the meat and dairy industries, from suffering by going vegan, and PETA offers free resources at PETA.org.uk to help. ‘

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: ‘This is upsetting and distressing footage. As soon as we were made aware, we urgently contacted the police to establish the background and to find out what happened to the calf. We are pleased to hear the calf survived and is receiving vet care.

‘Surrey Police has referred themselves to their own professional standards department and to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. We support this as the action appears disproportionate to the situation. We are happy to assist in any investigations carried out.

‘All animals should be treated with respect. Together, we can create a better world for all animals.’ 

Reacting to the footage on Twitter, Home Secretary James Cleverly branded the incident as ‘unnecessary’.

In a post, he tweeted: ‘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.’

MailOnline has contacted Surrey Police for comment.