CHP officer wins battle of bull run

The man called the California Highway Patrol to report a real problem, no bull, so to speak.

His bull had escaped Tuesday and broken through three fences. The man was afraid it might have wandered onto the 101 Freeway in Buellton.

This was no regular bull, warned the man, who lived in the rolling hills north of Jonata Park Road off the freeway. The bull weighed up to 2,500 pounds and was so angry and mean that its owner wanted the CHP to kill it, according to officials.

“For whatever reason, this thing was severely agitated,” said CHP Officer John Ortega. “The ranch people that were on scene, it had charged at them.”

“The bull had been acting aggressively all morning,” the CHP said in a statement. “The owner requested that the bull be dispatched due to its aggressive nature and proximity to the roadway.”

The CHP ran a traffic break on the highway, preventing drivers from getting in the bull’s path, while one officer trekked up the hill with the property owner to find the bull.

He spotted it on a hill above the 101 Freeway. The officer aimed and fired. The bull went down, but not for long. As the officer got close to confirm the kill, the bull sprang up and charged — knocking the officer down the hillside, the CHP said.

Then bull bolted onto the freeway as the officer recovered.

“It was a very large animal,” Ortega said. “Basically out of control and running along the freeway’s shoulders and in and out of traffic lanes.” As the bull stomped in the northbound lanes, the officer fired again. This time the bull was down for good.

The dead animal was removed, and traffic resumed. The officer was taken to Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital and treated for injuries that were not life- threatening.