A police officer in Harrisonburg, Virginia, is in stable condition after being accidentally shot during an attempt to stop a loose cow.
Law enforcement officials were responding to an animal complaint on Saturday night after a cow escaped from a corral earlier in the day, according to the Harrisonburg Police Department. The cow was located near a 7-Eleven shortly after the call.
After local farmers were unable to capture and contain the cow, the police intervened to help end the situation. A police officer was hit by a bullet in the lower body and transferred to the UVA Medical Center due to a non-life-threatening injury.
The department is investigating whether the police officer was shot by another police officer or by someone else who was trying to stop the cow.
Due to the injuries sustained during the attempted dispute with the animal, the decision was made to sacrifice the cow.