A police officer who injured a cow with a police vehicle in Staines-upon-Thames in the early hours of 15 June has been cleared of any misconduct and will return to work, Surrey Police has confirmed
A police driver who rammed a cow in a force vehicle will return to frontline duties after an investigation found the tactic was both lawful and necessary, Surrey Police said.
Disturbing footage of the incident captured in June showed a Surrey police officer ramming an escaped cow with a police truck in Staines-upon-Thames. Mum-of-three Davinder Kaur filmed the ramming from her house and released the bombshell 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.”
Surrey Police confirmed today that the incident had been thoroughly investigated and that misconduct investigations had now concluded. The cow, Beau Lucy, is well and remains at the farm with her herd.
Officers probing the incident 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.
Deputy Chief Constable, Nev Kemp, said; “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.
“This determination was supported by the Head of Professional Standards for Surrey Police who subsequently reviewed whether there was any potential misconduct. They determined a need for individual learning, but that no further action is taken in relation to misconduct. 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.”-
