Stray cow shot by deputy

Deputies were called to a residence on Kilcrease Road after a tenant reported a loose cow in her backyard.

According to the cow’s owner, Eddie Knight, the cow was 275 feet away from the road when a deputy arrived. Knight said the deputy began chasing the cow and caused it to run into the road where it was almost hit by a car. Several minutes later, the deputy fired six shots at the cow because he believed it was charging at him.

Knight said the shooting was not justified.

“You can pet her, she’s a real gentle cow,” Knight said. “I am sure she was upset, but there is no way they are going to convince me that this cow attacked a deputy.”

The 650-lb heifer was struck twice – once in the side of the neck and once in the hip. Knight questions how the cow could have been charging the deputy and been struck on the side of its body.

“It’s something that shouldn’t have happened,” Knight said.

According to the incident report, the deputy was attempting to lure cow back into the pasture when it started running toward Kilcrease Road. The cow reportedly crossed the road twice. According to Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith, the deputy did attempt to get the owner to the scene. At one point, the cow began walking towards one of the deputies who was holding a flashlight. When the deputy extinguished his light, the cow allegedly turned towards the other deputy and began running. The deputy reported that the cow was approximately 25 feet away when he started shooting. The deputy said he ceased firing when the cow turned broadside.

“It started charging him and he drew his weapon and discharged his firearm,” Smith said. “The cow stopped and subsequently jumped back in the fence.”

Smith described it as an unfortunate incident.

“We investigated it and we feel like the deputy was in fear and he defended himself,” Smith said. “That’s about as far as we’ve gotten. We’re still looking into the other ins and outs.”

The “other” includes the cost of treating the cow’s injuries and Knight’s concerns regarding the deputy’s actions.

Knight is seeking $450 for veterinary bills and wants the deputy responsible for the shooting to face disciplinary action for what he calls a reckless shooting.

“Someone inside that home could’ve been hit by a stray bullet,” he said. “There are a lot of concerns for me.”

Smith has agreed to help Knight with his insurance deductible, but said his deputy did nothing wrong.

“We feel like you have a right to defend yourself,” Smith said. “A deputy is worth more than a cow.”

Knight said he worries that Sheriff’s deputies are tasked with dealing with loose cattle and have not been properly trained to do so.

Knight said the Barrow County Cattleman’s Association has provided the Sheriff’s Office with an instructional video explaining how to handle loose cattle, but he does not believe the video has been shown.

“Based on how this happened, I think it’s something they have lying in a drawer,” he said.

Smith said the deputy involved in the incident had seen the video and believed the situation was under control until the cow got spooked. Still, Smith would like to see some changes in how livestock issues are handled in the future.

“We have over 7,000 head of cattle in Barrow County,” Smith said. “I’m going to meet with the Cattleman’s Association on December 15 and we’re going to come up with a different system to deal with this issue.”

That news will no doubt be welcomed by Knight. While his cow will make a full recovery, Knight wants to make sure nothing like this happens again.

“Other stuff they enforce the law on, they’re knowledgeable about,” he said. “They should be about this too. If nothing else comes out of it, I want to get some training for the deputies.”