Los Angeles police chase cows that escaped slaughterhouse through suburb

Police pursued a herd of escaped cows through a California neighborhood on Tuesday evening, and one cow was fatally shot after charging at a family.

NBC News reported that around 7:30 p.m. PST, authorities responded to a call that 40 cows had escaped from a slaughterhouse and were running through the Pico Rivera neighborhood, located about 11 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

The animals reportedly escaped after a gate had accidentally been left open. Residents were advised to avoid the area while police wrangled the cattle.

One cow charged at a family of four, and an officer fatally shot it. The family was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries. No other injuries were reported.

WHO HERD IT A herd of cows leads deputies on a chase across Pico Rivera.

STORY >> https://t.co/aNLLlfoAaE pic.twitter.com/QpgFPMfclO

— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) June 23, 2021

The cows were free for a little over an hour before they were herded into a cul-de-sac, according to NBC. Out of the 39 remaining cows that escaped, 38 were successfully retrieved, and one is still on the loose.

Police officers trailed a trio of trotting cows after several escaped from a meatpacking plant in Pico Rivera, California overnight. pic.twitter.com/GT4sXxwy4N

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) June 23, 2021

A similar incident occurred near Atlanta in April when one escaped cow held up traffic on a highway for more than an hour. Though similar incidents often result in the death of the cow, authorities were able to capture the cow with rope and return it to its owner.