Global Courant 2023-05-13 10:45:27
North Carolina police officers have made an arrest with the help of a herd of cows eager to follow the suspect hiding in their pasture.
Boone City Police said the suspect, later identified as Joshua Minton, 34, fled from officers during a traffic stop Tuesday, leading the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office officers and deputies to give chase. He left his vehicle in the Deep Gap area and ran into an undeveloped area.
Due to the suspect’s “fast and reckless driving”, officers were not immediately close enough to see where he was running, according to the police.
Officers began searching the area for the man, getting some unexpected help from cows willing to reveal the suspect’s whereabouts.
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Police officers arrested a man after cows led them to the suspect’s location. (Boone City Police Department)
“Apparently cows don’t want suspected criminals loitering in their pasture and were quick to help our officers by leading them directly to where the suspect was hiding,” the police said in a press release. “The cows communicated with the officers as best they could and in the end the officers just let them follow them to the suspect’s location.”
Minton was apprehended and charged with felony fleeing and evading arrest with a motor vehicle, driving with a revoked license and disorderly conduct. He received $20,000 secured bail and is expected to appear in court on June 28 in Watauga County.
The police thanked the cows for helping to find Minton.
“In addition to thanking our officers and deputies for putting themselves in danger, we would of course like to express our gratitude to the cows for their help,” the police said. “This raises all sorts of questions about the role of cattle in crime-fighting. Frankly, it’s something we haven’t thought about before.”
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The Boone City Police Department thanked the cows for helping find the suspect. (Boone City Police Department)
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The department said that as it explores the “obvious next steps of incorporating a Bovine Tracking Unit” into its law enforcement capabilities, there are several factors to consider.
This includes whether cows can adapt to a variety of police work or whether they are limited to finding people in hiding, whether cows are more cost-effective than K-9 dogs, how cows are transported to crime scenes, and whether this would be compatible with sustainability goals from the city regarding the type of vehicles needed and whether there are any methane problems, and how much it would cost to fund the training of the cows, veterinary care, ballistics vets and other expenses.