Wild and woolly police chase
23 November 2002
A wild and woolly adventure for two Dunedin police constables ended with one of them handcuffing a sheep after it assaulted his colleague yesterday.
If the officers weren't feeling sheepish enough, the incident went from bad to worse when they discovered the key to the handcuffs was missing. They had to call for back-up so the animal could be released.
One of the officers was nursing a sore leg and ripped trousers after spending an uncomfortable few moments with the ewe in a garage.
Sergeant Andrew Bardsley of Dunedin police said the "unusual" incident began when the two officers were called to deal with a loose sheep.
"They had the plan that one of them would scare the sheep in the direction of the other officer and he would grab it.
"Unfortunately, it got a bit spooked and ran into a garage with one of the officers in hot pursuit," Mr Bardsley said.
After a "minute or so" the ewe was first to emerge, followed closely by the constable, looking a little worse for wear.
"He came out limping, with ripped trousers. We're still not sure exactly what happened in there."
The ewe then turned its attention to the second officer and "ran straight toward him.
"The officer grabbed the sheep, got it on the ground and handcuffed its front leg to its back leg."
Satisfied the daggy offender was under control, the arresting officer sent his colleague on his way, while he waited for the stock control truck to arrive.
Unfortunately, he then discovered the key to the handcuffs was missing and another officer had to attend the scene to release the sheep.
Sergeant Bardsley said the sheep was "facing charges of assaulting a police officer and unlawfully entering a building".
23 November 2002
A wild and woolly adventure for two Dunedin police constables ended with one of them handcuffing a sheep after it assaulted his colleague yesterday.
If the officers weren't feeling sheepish enough, the incident went from bad to worse when they discovered the key to the handcuffs was missing. They had to call for back-up so the animal could be released.
One of the officers was nursing a sore leg and ripped trousers after spending an uncomfortable few moments with the ewe in a garage.
Sergeant Andrew Bardsley of Dunedin police said the "unusual" incident began when the two officers were called to deal with a loose sheep.
"They had the plan that one of them would scare the sheep in the direction of the other officer and he would grab it.
"Unfortunately, it got a bit spooked and ran into a garage with one of the officers in hot pursuit," Mr Bardsley said.
After a "minute or so" the ewe was first to emerge, followed closely by the constable, looking a little worse for wear.
"He came out limping, with ripped trousers. We're still not sure exactly what happened in there."
The ewe then turned its attention to the second officer and "ran straight toward him.
"The officer grabbed the sheep, got it on the ground and handcuffed its front leg to its back leg."
Satisfied the daggy offender was under control, the arresting officer sent his colleague on his way, while he waited for the stock control truck to arrive.
Unfortunately, he then discovered the key to the handcuffs was missing and another officer had to attend the scene to release the sheep.
Sergeant Bardsley said the sheep was "facing charges of assaulting a police officer and unlawfully entering a building".
