Steer running loose, darting through traffic and near homes, is killed, Iowa cops say

A “rogue” steer that was running loose in Des Moines, Iowa, darting through traffic and near homes, was shot and killed by police officers Tuesday night, media outlets report.

Cops found the cow at an intersection but couldn’t corral it, KCCI reported. Although police had a trailer ready, they shot the animal when given the opportunity, the Des Moines Register reported.

“Couldn’t let it continue with the risk of crashing a car, someone coming into contact with it,” Sgt. Paul Parizek told the newspaper.

The steer had been running loose since at least late Monday when it was seen at an intersection, KCCI reported. However, police officers couldn’t catch it even though they had a “containment plan” in place with an animal control officer.

“We’re cops, not cowboys,” police wrote on Facebook. “It got away.”

Police did get awfully close to the steer. Dashcam video showed the large steer walk directly in front of a patrol vehicle — then disappear into the night.

A dispatcher was apparently concerned for the police officer.

“I need him to back off,” the dispatcher said in the video.

While the steer was still loose, police urged residents to be careful and not approach the cow because it could be aggressive.

“As always, please be alert as you drive,” police wrote on Facebook. “As you can see in the video, this animal is very large. The potential for serious damage and/or injury is possible should you strike it while driving.”

Some residents were upset with the decision to kill the steer, suggesting the cow could’ve been shot with a tranquilizer or that police should be trained to handle livestock because of Iowa’s large livestock herds, according to comments on the police department Facebook page.

The steer wasn’t the only animal on the loose this week in the Midwest.

On Monday, a female cougar named Tink escaped her enclosure at a zoo in Independence, Kansas, McClatchy news group reported. She was captured and returned.

This story was originally published October 2, 2019 at 10:44 AM with the headline "Steer running loose, darting through traffic and near homes, is killed, Iowa cops say."