SWANSEA, S.C. — A bull is dead after Swansea Police say it knocked a man unconscious and charged at an officer last week.
This incident involved a family farm animal and has been the talk of the town for the past week.
Residents showed News19 a picture of the shot bull lying next to two men wearing what appears to be law enforcement vests, holding the bull's head up by the horns.
"I think it was ridiculous what was done," Sarah Snyder, the mother of the bull's owner, said. "I mean, the way they just took the cow out."
Snyder said she has lived in Swansea for more than 50 years.
According to a Swansea Police report, around 11 a.m. on Feb. 23, 2024, a Swansea police officer feared for his safety and shot a bull. The report states that the father of the person who called Lexington County Animal Services about a bull being loose shot the bull a second time.
The incident report said Swansea Police arrived to assist Lexington County Animal Control. Once on the scene, the report states that the Swansea officer witnessed a man guiding the bull back to its pen. It continues that the bull then stopped and turned toward the man, who hit the bull with a stick. According to the report, the bull charged the man, resulting in him being thrown airborne and knocked unconscious from the continued attack.
That man is Snyder's husband. She said she thinks the chaos unfolded because of the numerous law enforcement cars that arrived at her home during the incident.
"I just think all the sirens and the cops and the lights and everything, it terrified the cow; so he didn't know what else to do," Snyder said.
The officer said that after the animal charged at him, he climbed on top of his patrol car and shot the bull with a rifle.
Lexington County Animal Control said it knows about the incident and the photo on social media. Animal Control said that the Swansea Police Department was the responding agency and that Lexington County does not discuss personnel matters.
According to Snyder, Lexington County Animal Services fined the bull owner $200 for having two live stock astray during the incident. She said the owner received another citation on Feb. 29 for a heifer going astray.
"This is country out here. People, anywhere you drive out here you're going to see cows, horses, I mean, farm animals," Snyder said. "And if you're going to make this happen, well, guess what? All our farmers are going to quit raising animals."
The Swansea police chief declined to comment.
Snyder said her son sold the remaining heifer to a neighbor on Thursday night. She said her husband is still sore and bruised from the incident.