x
Breaking News
More () »

Deputies fatally shoot goat after escape from Portland farm

The deputy said he felt threatened by the goat's size and horns, and that he had tried several times to stop it from advancing toward him, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office case report.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A sheriff's deputy shot and killed a goat that had escaped from a Portland farm Sunday.

The deputy said he felt threatened by the goat's size and horns, and that he had tried several times to stop it from advancing toward him, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office case report.

At one point, the deputy said he grabbed the goat's horns and pushed it away, but it didn't help.

"The goat put his head down and approached me with his horns pointed towards my pelvic area. I grabbed a hold of one side of the horns and pushed him away from me," the deputy's statement reads. "I could feel the strength of the goat as he brushed me off and came at me again. It appeared as though my pushing the goat away was making him more and more angry as he kept coming at me."

The deputy said he shot the goat twice in the head and once above the shoulder with a handgun, but the goat kept trying to get up and escape. Another deputy arrived on scene with a rifle and shot the goat in the heart. It died shortly afterward.

Farmer Matt Minnick said he feels partly at fault for allowing the goat to escape, but didn't agree a shooting was necessary. He said 7-year-old kids are able to deal with goats.

He said the goat, named Volt, was his breeding male on the farm. He was a $1,200 rare breed from New Zealand that Minnick said is known for its calm temperament.

___

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Before You Leave, Check This Out