Raging bull meant for slaughterhouse causes car crash before being shot, killed

An enraged bull in Massachusetts escaped being sent to a slaughterhouse Monday before causing a multi-car crash, charging police, getting shot in the leg and being euthanized.

Workers at Mathieu Farms near Raynham, Massachusetts, were loading the bull onto a truck when something frightened it.

In its rage, the bull managed to get through multiple fences including some that were electrified before clearing a 6-foot berm and getting loose, the Raynham Police Department said in a press release.

The bull ran onto Massachusetts Interstate 495 and caused a three-car crash, with one driver being hospitalized for injuries of unspecified severity, police said. From there, it headed for the woods and went into Lake Nippenicket.

When police arrived, the 1,300-pound bull began swimming aggressively toward them and the accompanying farm staff, who told police that the bull would need to be killed rather than taken alive.

An officer fired shots at the bull that proved ineffective, and once the animal got onto the dry shore it started to charge.

The officer then fired off more rifle shots, hitting it in one of its legs. The owner of the farm came to the scene with a higher-powered hunting rifle and killed the injured bull.

“Facing a charging 1,300-pound bull is not something you go into your shift thinking is going to happen, but our officers were able to respond and effectively handle the situation and prevent further injury and destruction,” Raynham Police Chief David LaPlante said in a statement.