DANVILLE — Freedom for two Herefords darting along Route 11, Mahoning Creek and the Danville Middle School grounds was short-lived when they were shot Tuesday by police.
Danville Sgt. Bill Wilt said he and cows’ owner made the decision to shoot them after the larger of the two cows “dumped” the owner while he, police and others were trying to corral them into gates set up as a portable pen.
“The cow broke the metal gate and for safety reasons we made the decision. It isn’t one we wanted to make. It was the last resort,” Sgt. Wilt said. He added the cow may have injured the owner who is from a Catawissa farm.
The ordeal, which lasted an hour and a half starting at about 10:30 a.m. on a chilly and windy day, began when the trailer carrying the two cows somehow popped open near Routes 11 and 54. The farm employee driving the truck hauling the black trailer said he hadn’t noticed it until a woman motioned to him.
Paul Peifer, who owns nearby Paul’s Citgo on Route 11, said he thought a cow may have fallen in the trailer, resulting in the door opening.
The farm employee, reportedly with the first name of Andy who didn’t want to be identified, said he may have hit a bump in the road.
“I had one in the trailer almost but she ran out,” he said. The larger cow was black with a white face and the smaller one was red and white.
He was headed to the Middleburg Auction with the animals.
The cows darted more than once into traffic along Route 11 and across from the middle school. They spent a lot of time on both sides of the floodwall along Mahoning Creek, which borders Continental Boulevard.
Police from Danville, Mahoning Township and Riverside who initially arrived waited for the farm owner to bring portable gates from Catawissa. The farm owner refused to comment or identify himself. Among those assisting were Mahoning Township Police Chief Dave Shope and Steve Watkins of Riverside police.
After the gates were set up along the floodwall access, police, personnel from the Montour County Sheriff’s Department and others tried numerous times to drive the animals into the portable pen that had been set up.
The cows appeared calm at some times and were on the move running through the water, over embankments and through the school grounds at other times.
A borough employee had to open the gate along the gate to the floodwall so the truck and trailer and truck with the gates could back down alongside the creek.
The cows more than once ran through the creek and through the school grounds with some people, with sticks and attempting to control them, getting close to the large animals.
The larger black cow galloped more frequently onto Route 11 than her companion and then darted back to the creek area.
At one point, there was a suggestion made about summoning a firetruck with long ropes to try to lasso the animals.
Danville Police Officer Jerry Zeidler, who was one of the first officers on the scene, downed the cows with a shotgun.
The incident drew about 25 people including some students.
Sgt. Wilt said this wasn’t the first they had farm animals loose in the borough. About eight years ago, there were bulls loose on Mill Street. “They fell off a trailer on Continental Boulevard. We ended up tying them on lamp poles. They destroyed cars,” he said.
E-mail comments to kblackledge@thedanvillenews.com.
News
Related Photos
-
Robert Inglis
Related Links
Discussion
Police shoot escaped cows
- News
-
-
Long-time Beavertown mayor ousted by 14 votes
Political newcomer Lee Hollenbach Jr. defeated incumbent Mayor Cloyd “Bill” Wagner in Tuesday night’s Republican primary.
-
Dunkleberger wins Northumberland Co. prothonotary race
Justin Dunkelberger defeated Jamie Saleski 2,744-2,124 in a hotly contested Republican primary election Tuesday night for Northumberland County prothonotary and clerk of courts.
-
Persing elected to another term as Sunbury Mayor
Incumbent Mayor David Persing, who fought off repeated allegations in recent months by challenger Julie Brosius, won the Republican nomination by a landslide in Tuesday’s primary election.
-
Crews dig through night after deadly Oklahoma tornado
MOORE, Okla. — Spotlights bore down on massive piles of shredded cinder block, insulation and metal as crews worked through the night lifting bricks and parts of collapsed walls where a monstrous tornado barreled through the Oklahoma City suburbs, demolishing an elementary school and reducing homes to piles of splintered wood.
-
10 Things to Know for Today
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
-
10 Things to Know for Today
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
-
Fire destroys $60G cottage in Union County
WINFIELD — A fire swept through a Winfield home while its occupants were at work Tuesday.
-
2013 Primary Election - Top Races
Unofficial primary election returns
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY
Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts
Republican
Justin R. Dunkelberger 2,744
Jamie Saleski 2,124100 percent reporting
Magisterial District Judge
08-3-02, Milton
Republican
Larry Redington 496
Mike Diehl 684
Lisa A. Riley 328
Seth M. Cotner 132
Democrat
Larry Regington 182
Seth M. Cotner 90
Mike Diehl 221Lisa A. Riley 218
100 percent reporting
Sunbury Mayor
Republican
Julie Brosius 200
David L. Persing 378100 percent reporting
Sunbury Treasurer
Republican
Stanley E. Geiswhite 176
Kevin E. Troup 388
100 percent reportingUNION COUNTY
County Coroner
Republican
Tod M. Steese 542
Dominick T. Adamo 1,04963 percent reporting
Gregg Township
Alcohol Sales: Do you favor the granting of liquor license for the sale of liquor in the Township of Gregg?
Yes 82
No 72
100 percent reporting -
Midd-West adopts preliminary budget
Faced with a firm deadline in which to adopt a preliminary budget for 2013-14, the Midd-West school board reversed its vote late Monday night and approved the $32.85 million plan.
-
Police file attempted homicide charge in baseball bat attack
FREEBURG - A Freeburg man, who allegedly attacked two people less than a week after he was released on bail, is now facing attempted homicide charges, according to police.
-
Driver, boy, 6, hurt in Route 15 crash
LEWISBURG — A 61-year-old Milton woman and a 6-year-old boy were hurt Monday night when their vehicle hit a guide rail and a concrete barrier before overturning on Route 15, state police at Milton said.
-
Sunbury hospital's operating margin among worst in state
SUNBURY — Sunbury Community Hospital’s 2012 operating margin was among the worst in the state, according to a new report examining the fiscal health of the state’s hospitals.
-
Sunbury woman gets 9-23 months in cocaine sales
SUNBURY — A Sunbury woman will report to the Northumberland County Prison on June 3 for a nine- to 23-month stint for her part in a cocaine ring that police said saw her earning $900 a week from sales.
-
Jodi Arias trial wraps for day after series of motions
PHOENIX — Defense attorneys for Jodi Arias asked the judge to remove them from the case and declare a mistrial Monday, arguing the frenzy surrounding the case has created a modern-day witch hunt.
-
U.S. Sen. Casey wants federal probe of fiery tanker crash
HARRISBURG — U.S. Senator Bob Casey wants federal regulators to investigate a fiery tanker crash that caused serious damage at the interchange of Interstate 81 and U.S. Routes 22/322 near Harrisburg.
-
Federal judge weighs fate of governor's lawsuit against NCAA
HARRISBURG — A federal judge in Pennsylvania says she’ll decide in the next couple weeks whether to dismiss Gov. Tom Corbett’s antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA over penalties against Penn State.
-
Today's Top Videos
-
Police Log
A daily roundup of police news from around the region.
- More News Headlines
-
Long-time Beavertown mayor ousted by 14 votes
