1300-pound bull on the loose euthanized after a wild chase around town

RAYNHAM, Mass. (WLNE) — Raynham police said a 1300-pound bull was on the move Monday morning.

“We look out the back window to the horse field and sure enough, I was like that’s a weird-looking horse,” New Hampshire resident Alex McCarthy said. “It was a big cow running about.”

Around 9 a.m. Monday calls came in for a large black bull on the loose in town.

The first calls to police indicated the bull was running in the area of Jennings Drive near Elm Street East.

“Workers at the nearby Mathieu Farms had been in the process of loading the bull into a truck to be transported to a slaughterhouse when it became enraged and escaped,” explained Raynham police department Captain Peter Beatrice.

The bull was seen running through fences, and before police could locate the bull, it caused a three-car crash on I-495, sending one person to the hospital with injuries.

“He looked wicked happy. It was funny to see him prancing around,” said Raynham resident Coleen Campbell.

The bull then jumped into Lake Nippenicket for a swim, before police said the bull started charging at them as he came onto shore.

“Upon seeing the group of people on the shore, the bull quickly and aggressively swam towards the group, prompting a Raynham officer to discharge his department-issued rifle,” said Beatrice.

Police said the rifle was not strong enough to stop the bull and then the officer fired more shots into the bull’s leg to disable it as he came onto land.

The owner of the farm that the bull escaped from was on the scene and humanely euthanized the bull.