PORTLAND, Oregon — An Oregon sheriff’s deputy shot and killed an 800-pound bull that escaped its ranch through a damaged fence and ran loose in a Portland suburb, damaging businesses and injuring a man, authorities said Tuesday.
Seven bulls escaped through the damaged fence Sunday night at a ranch in the agricultural town of Cornelius, Oregon, near Portland, damaging businesses in the nearby suburb of Hillsboro. Six of the seven returned to the ranch Monday morning, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Police tried Monday to guide the remaining animal back to the ranch after receiving calls about a loose Charolais bull sighting but were unsuccessful. The bull crashed through several yards and knocked down Augustine White, 23, outside his home.
“When the bull began charging, Mr. White first attempted to intimidate the bull by raising his arms and standing as tall as possible,” Sgt. Bob Ray said in a statement. “Realizing this was not working, Mr. White started to run away as the bull continued to charge.”
He said the bull knocked White down on his driveway and then ran away.
The bull’s owner, whom police did not name, called a butcher to assist police and to dispatch and process the loose bull.
“This particular one was the most violent, uncooperative bull,” Ray said. “We tried everything we could to corral it back but once it began terrorizing the city and injured that one man we knew that we needed to end this quickly and effectively.”
White was treated at a nearby hospital and released, suffering only bruised ribs and cuts.
Sheriff’s deputies and the butcher tried multiple times to corral the animal and at one point had to stop traffic as it crossed a highway, authorities said. After the butcher tried three times unsuccessful to kill the bull, the sheriff’s deputy used his rifle to put it down.
Police said recent heavy rains had damaged the fence that the bulls escaped through and they do not expect to issue citations.