This YouTube video is raising some disturbing questions about the judgment and training of police in Gatineau, Canada. The police are shown responding to a call of an escaped calf by shooting the animal about a dozen times.
The horrific scene has left many asking why the police could not throw a rope around the animal or use a tranquilizer gun rather than move immediately from bovine to beef.
Yet, Const. Pierre Lanthier defended the action, saying police “have to decide if it’s threatening for the population” and, in this case, determined that “they had no choice but to shoot the animal.” Really? No choice? It is not like this was a terrorist ungulate from Al Cuda. I can think of a host of options before getting to the choice of peppering the animal with bullets.
Nevertheless, Gatineau police say there are still no plans to add tranquilizers to the officers’ options.
This is probably why the department has one of the lowest levels of missing child reports in Canada.
Source: Ottawa
did anyone else see the comments on the original article? Here’s Monika….
Monika~
This made me cry! This is animal cruelty! Cows aren’t harmful the police just didn’t want to waste any more time than they had to on this matter or even money! They should be ashamed. I lost faith in our system. First the poor baby moose now this. Smarten up and remember what you are doing! Shooting for no reason! This isn’t the united states! If you can carry a gun I’m sure you can carry a tranquilizer ! But I guess the easy way out is your motto!
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This isn’t the united states! This isn’t the united states! This isn’t the united states! This isn’t the united states! This isn’t the united states!
!
I grew up around cows as well. If this calf ws a danger it is because they terrified it into an agressive stance.
And I’m sorry but don’t they have to be able to hit a target before they are issued weapons? [and were those cars in a circle, around that poor thing? someone is damn lucky it was only the calf that got hit….although to be fair he looked more like a young bull than a calf….from the picture….
Why there was killing of the calf aside, multiple shots is not a humane way. Even those chomping on a burger as they read this would agree.
From other various reports on the intertubez the calf, and another escapee, were on their way to a slaughterhouse when they escaped from a trailer. One calf was shot shortly after it escaped. Maybe the cops didn’t think it really mattered if they were taken alive. The police rationale is that the animals were aggressive, charged the police cars and posed a danger to the community including children in a primary school nearby. Man, that was one menacing calf. It’s hard to imagine a creature short of Godzilla posing that much of a threat to civilization.
The Moar You Know is spot on.
As an empty-headed child I would occasionally be pressed into labor as part of a cow-wrangling gang of cousins (5 of us from 5 to 11 years old) and without running the cow (or cows, depending) or taking a stick to the cow(s) would get them from the lower pasture (very bad terrain for a cow) or the neighbors pasture back to near their barn. Dangerous? Maybe, If a cow knocked you down because you were in it’s way that wouldn’t be cool so we spread out, kept a respectful distance, made noise and moved in a little at a time so it would go in the ‘right’ direction. We worked that method out for ourselves. It wasn’t rocket science. There wasn’t a bright bub in the pack of us. It was self-evident how to proceed.
It is astonishing to me that a gaggle of police couldn’t achieve what a gaggle of city children enjoying their summer holiday on a farm could. I’d hate to see these guys under real pressure.
“the most common denominator for applicants seems to be long-term unemployment.”
ala Sonderkommando…
“the most common denominator for applicants seems to be long-term unemployment.”
That is truly scary.
“Basically, the weakest and most terrified among us become police officers bc it is the profession wherein you may carry an arsenal with you everywhere.”
Not necessarily . . . the most common denominator for applicants seems to be long-term unemployment.
The person recording this disturbing incident is one very brave soul to risk being noticed by the police while guns are drawn and being dischaged.
When you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Wow. I’m wasn’t raised on a farm or anything, but this is a BABY COW. I’ve done this before. Not any big trick, you just walk up to it, grab it by an ear, and take it where you want to go. Tie it up and wait for the owner to show up.
“This is probably why the department has one of the lowest levels of missing child reports in Canada.”
No doubt. Damn. I assume by default that cops are stupid but this is a bit much.
OS,
A good weeding is a nice way of putting it.
The defence of insane, maniac cops is that 1) we dont know the rest of the story…as though theres always some secret villain not caught on camera. 2) they did what the felt was necessary to keep people safe…bc the number of murderous cows is growing by the day.
Basically, the weakest and most terrified among us become police officers bc it is the profession wherein you may carry an arsenal with you everywhere. If that doesnt scream weak I don’t know what does. Oh, and “they dont always know how to handle the situation” blah blah blah. You know what? How do YOU think five regular citizens would have handled It? Probably would have guided it to a tree then tied It to it.
Hey, if anyone is looking to fire off as many bullets as possible into just about anything, become a cop! You know everyone will excuse your violence and stupidity!
I think this might be considered an excessive use of force….Not like everyone has a Zainville, OH on there hands….
raff, that is why I said what I did about a psych re-evaluation. That would include an IQ and aptitude test, which should have been given in the first place. This, like many departments, is like a garden. Needs a good weeding.
I’ll reserve judgment until I learn what highways they were near and what the traffic situation was.
I have a friend who, as a child riding in a car, crashed into a cow (not a calf) and it almost killed everyone inside.
If the officers are not familiar with how to handle livestock, I can imagine shooting the animal, harsh as it sounds, is the wisest choice.
If the calf had run into traffic and caused an accident, I am sure that people here now condemning the actions of the cops would be shouting equally loudly about their incompetence in not killing the animal when they had the chance.
OS,
You could be right, but I also think it is indicative of who they are hiring, nt just the training. This police chief and these officers should be looking for a new profession.
This is just another example of how poorly trained some police departments are. And how poor the supervision is in others. While a handbook cannot possibly have every contingency spelled out, it should be clear enough when discharging a firearm is necessary.
If this were one of the departments with which I consult, I would pull the officer’s POST certification until they underwent a thorough psychological examination and debriefing.
Beef, its whats for dinner.
Your headline is wrong; Gatineau is in the province of Quebec, Ottawa is in the province of Ontario