Video: Escaped Cows Stampede Pico Rivera Neighborhood

PICO RIVERA, CA — A herd of cows stampeded through the streets of Pico Rivera Tuesday night after breaking free from a slaughterhouse. The stampede sent one person to a hospital, and a Los Angeles Sheriff's deputy shot one of the cows amid the chaos.

The ill-fated escape attempt happened shortly after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, and deputies were called in to wrangle the herd in the area of Beverly Road and Durfee Avenue. Residents were advised to avoid the area, and the stampede came to an end at a cul-de-sac on Friendship Avenue. One person was trampled in the process, CBS2 reported. The person was taken to a hospital in unknown condition.

The cows were believed to have broken free from a nearby meatpacking plant.

Authorities barricaded the cows in the cul-de-sac and were attempting to corral them into a trailer as of about 9:25 p.m. As the cows were being loaded into trailers, three made another escape attempt,KTLA reported.

They led deputies in a pursuit across town where they were spotted running through traffic in the area of Beverly and Rosemead boulevards.

One resident told KTLA sheriff’s vehicles were following the cows “like they’re a bunch of presidents or something.”

At least one cow was killed in the officer-involved shooting.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report