A cow being led to slaughter vaulted over a six-foot fence on Friday and ran through the streets of a small Idaho town, prompting a lengthy police chase. The police ended up shooting and killing the heifer. Following the escape, four more cows fled the plant on Sunday, and one was shot and killed by a meat processing plant employee. Another was captured and two remain fugitives.

Police Chief Scott Marchand of Pocatello, Idaho says that his officers fired two shots at the animal that escaped on Friday, because the 1,000-pound cow posed an immediate safety risk to the area.

The cow escaped from Anderson Custom Pack, a meat processing plant on Friday afternoon. He was pursued by police on foot, in police cars and an animal control vehicle. Early in the pursuit, a Pocatello police officer shot the cow once in the head, but the animal continued to run throughout the city, even ramming the animal control vehicle and two police cars.

After the cow was cornered in a residential yard three miles from the meat processing plant, a police officer shot and killed it. A conflicting report says that an employee from the meat processing plant shot the cow.

Four other cows also escaped the Anderson meat processing plant on Sunday. One has been recovered by Anderson employees, one was shot and killed by an employee and the other two remain missing. The two escape incidents are unrelated, according to reports.

The cows that escaped on Sunday were put in a locked corral on Saturday. When workers returned the next day, they said that the corral was unlocked. Because the gate was pushed inward toward the corral, it is belived the cows had outside help with their escape.

The plant’s owners originally thought the cows had been stolen. There has been a problem with missing cattle in Idaho in recent weeks as dozens heads of cattle have gone missing in Southern Idaho. Police believe that criminals are trying to capitalize on rising beef prices.

Animal control officers have opened an investigation of Anderson Custom Pack as a result of the two escape incidents. The town, in fact has a city ordinance that prohibits cows running loose in the streets, so Anderson will likely be cited for with a violation.

See the video of Friday’s police chase:

KPTV – FOX 12