Raynham Bull Shot and Killed After Escaping Slaughterhouse Truck

RAYNHAM -- An "aggressive" 1,300-pound bull bound for the slaughterhouse escaped a farm, destroyed electric fences, caused a multi-vehicle highway crash, dashed into a lake and charged at police before being euthanized by its owner Monday.

Mathieu Farms in Raynham was loading the bull into a truck when the animal became frightened and ran away, prompting a 911 call and a warning to travelers. Police believed the bull posed "a significant threat to the community."

In exiting the farm, the bull ran through multiple fences, some electrified, and jumped a 6-foot berm. The bull soon made its way to Interstate 495, causing a multi-vehicle crash. One driver was hospitalized, according to the Raynham Fire Department.

From the highway, the bull ran into the woods of Elm Street East, then into Lake Nippenicket near a Raynham Water District building. Police on land got the bull in their sights and the bull, seeing the officers, "quickly and aggressively" swam toward shore. An officer fired his rifle at the bull but that wasn't enough to stop it. Police bodycam video shows the bull running out of the water and charging at those on shore.

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"To avoid being injured by the charging bull, the officer fired several more rifle shots and struck the bull in the leg, disabling it and preventing further injury," police said in a news release.

"After being disabled, the bull needed to be humanely euthanized; however, the rifle that the officer was using was not powerful enough. The owner of the farm that the bull escaped from was on scene and is a legal gun owner and hunter. The farm owner retrieved his hunting rifle and effectively euthanized the bull."

In addition to the Raynham Police Department and Raynham Fire Department responding to the call, the Raynham Police Animal Control Officer, a member of the Raynham Board of Health and Massachusetts State Police responded to the incident.

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