Beef: It’s in the river
It isn’t unusual for a fugitive to cross state lines to avoid police, but very few of them are brave enough to plunge into the Missouri River.
Especially if that fugitive is a wayward cow.
That’s what police say happened this afternoon when a young bovine led officers on a tri-state cow chase.
It started somewhere in Union County, South Dakota, when three cows escaped from their owner.
Two of them were caught (one was tranquilized) before they could skip out of the state, but Sioux City police said a younger animal could not be contained and made its way to the walking path on Sioux City’s riverfront.
Sioux City Police Sgt. Mike Post said officers took an observational role, watching while the owner/helpers tried to catch the animal.
It jumped into the Missouri River near the boat ramp by the Hilton Garden Inn – and somehow made it across to Nebraska.
“We did observe him get into the river and swim – without our assistance,” Post said. “He did it on his own.”
This may sound a little dramatic, but maybe the cow heard stories about what happens to naughty cows that run away from home in Sioux City.
I joke, but in all fairness to police, the Macho incident in Sioux City involved a full-grown bull in a residential neighborhood, whereas Thursday’s incident involved a half-grown calf running through the woods along the river.
Although it jumped into the river around mid-afternoon, South Sioux City police didn’t deal with the cow until about 8:30 p.m.
By that time, South Sioux City Police Sgt. Chris Chernock said the animal appeared injured in the “driver’s side, left rear.”
It became frightened and jumped back into the river before the owner or police could capture it, although Chernock didn’t think the animal’s second swim would be as successful as its first.
South Sioux City police lost sight of the animal when he was in the middle of the river. Chernock said the current was moving the animal in two directions – across and downstream — as it swam toward Iowa.
“He didn’t look like he was going to do too well,” he said.
Unable to help myself, I asked Chernock if he ever thought about calling in “the big guns” to deal with the cow.
Not for a second, he said.
“It’s been a while since anyone’s been hurt or injured in a one-cow stampede.”
