Footage shared with the BBC shows a cow running loose on the streets of Surrey, and later getting to its feet after being struck by a police car.
Surrey Police said in a statement that after attempts to safely capture the cow “over a period of a number of hours” failed, “the decision was made to stop it using a police car”.
The cow was hit twice by a marked vehicle which the RSPCA said “appears disproportionate”.
The force released a statement saying that the cow’s owner had been located and its injuries assessed by a vet, who was overseeing its continued treatment and recovery.
It also said it would refer itself to the police complaints watchdog.
Read more on this story.