The Police say there was no other viable option other than to shoot a bull which escaped from the abattoir after it entered residential areas and passed near a primary school.
The Isle of Man Meat Plant had requested assistance to dispatch the aggressive animal, which had already put its experienced workers at risk.
After the bull escaped prior to police arrival, the school was contacted to initiate safety procedures. The animal was later located at Douglas Rugby Club.
Police said they were concerned that the bull could have escaped back out the field the same way it came in or other exits.
Caution: The video of officers shooting the bull has been widely shared on social media and was shared with Manx.News by a reader. Some readers may not wish to view it due to the content.
Deployed
Superintendent Steve Maddocks said, “Authorised firearms officers were deployed to negate the threat to the public. We fully understand the public’s upset but there was no easy way to contain the bull.”
He addressed public concerns directly, stating: “A number of shots were required to kill the bull due to the size of the animal. We would like to state to the public that there were no missed shots, and the public were not put in unnecessary danger by the police.”
Responding to suggestions of using tranquilisers or corralling the animal, Superintendent Maddocks added: “The police do not have the capability to tranquilise animals, as has been suggested, and utilising a trained professional was not a viable option for wider public safety reasons.”
The Meat Plant later attended to remove the bull.