North Carolina police are ‘directly’ led by cows to a suspect who escaped during a traffic encounter

Last week, an unlikely group of animals helped North Carolina authorities in their search for a suspect. Here's a hint: It wasn't a K-9 team.

On Tuesday, a suspect eluded Boone Police Department officers

who were conducting a routine traffic stop by driving away in his car and then running away on foot. According to authorities, the suspect, Joshua Minton, abandoned his car in Watauga County and went towards a rural area.

According to a news release from Boone police, “Our officers were not close enough to see exactly where the suspect ran because of the suspect's fast and reckless driving.”

Authorities were looking around when they were met by neighborhood cows. According to police, the cows “directly led them to where the suspect was hiding.”

According to Boone police, cows do not appreciate suspected criminals lingering on their pasture. The cows tried their best to speak with the officers, but in the end, they just asked them to follow them to the suspect's location. Authorities detained Minton on numerous accusations, including disorderly conduct, driving while ineligible for a license, and criminal fleeing/eluding arrest with a vehicle.

More cows in the police force to aid in crime-fighting?

On its Facebook page, the police department mocked the incident, claiming that until last week, they had never thought about using cows to fight crime.

Police stated they were “always looking for better ways to serve our community” at the Boone Police Department. Despite being a small town, the police department is proactive and forward-thinking.

Police are unsure if cows can perform a range of police tasks if they are more affordable than K-9 dogs, and how they will be transported to crime scenes before they can officially join the force.

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