Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Bull leads police on chase to BHS

Clara Garcia News-Bulletin Staff Writer; cgarcia@news-bulletin.com

Belen New Mexico Livestock Board officials say they were forced to shoot and kill a bull that traveled through the Hub City over the weekend, making its way to Belen High School, where families and fans watched a baseball game.

Bobby Pearce, deputy director of the New Mexico Livestock Board, said the bull escaped from the Cattleman's Livestock Auction located north of Belen. Pearce said while it's not common for livestock to escape from these situations, it does happen when they get upset.

"If they're able to, they'll try and run off," Pearce said. "It's not anyone's fault; it's just that they get a little skittish in strange places."

Belen Police Chief Mike Chavez said officers first were alerted that a bull was loose in the area of Main Street and Aragon Road. Officer Jim Mietzner saw the bull running across Aragon Road with a man on horseback following behind.

After losing sight of the bull, the officer was informed by the city's animal control officer that it was located on Tenth and Church streets and that it was headed toward Belen High School, where it was seen in the parking lot.

Because the bull was still running, and due to the large number of people in the area, the officers decided to guide the animal off the campus to Christopher Road, behind the high school. While one of the officers kept a close eye on the bull while waiting for an inspector from the livestock board to arrive, the other officer went to the auction where he spoke with the owner, Charlie Meyers.

According to a police report, Meyers told officers that the bull did come from his business and that he had sold the animal the day before. He said the animal's new owner was trying to lead it into a trailer when the bull jumped over the top and ran off. Meyers sent two of his employees on horseback to try and catch the bull.

"Mr. Meyers then requested that we just shoot it before it hurts someone," the reports said.

When the livestock inspector, April Riggs, arrived at the location behind the high school, she shot the bull once in the chest as it stood in the middle of the road. Chavez said that, after the animal was shot, Mietzner pulled up next to it in his police unit and opened his door.

"The bull then jumped up and rammed the door," Chavez said. "The door hit (Mietzner), cutting him under his left eye. His shoulder was hurting, and he had swelling on his face."

After the bull rammed the police unit, Riggs shot the animal again, this time in the head. Mietzner drove himself to the urgent care center down the road.

Pearce said a rendering company was called and picked up the animal for disposal.

E-mail this story Printer-friendly version