Florida Deputy Shoots Out Of Control Bull In Martin County

Martin County Deputy Shoots Out Of Control Bull

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said a sheriff’s deputy was forced to shoot and kill an out of control bull.

The incident occurred just after 7 a.m. at 25801 SW Martin Highway on Monday. The bull had trampled a rancher and the deputy fired in order to save the man’s life, said the sheriff’s office.

According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, after trampling 24-year-old Justin White the bull tried to push the man into the pond.

White told dispatchers “the bull had injured him and was pushing him into water and that he was having difficulty breathing,” a report said obtained by TC Palm.

Sergeant Carmine Diapalo was the responding deputy who found White in a fetal position near the water with the angry bull standing over him.

Sergeant Diapalo fired three shots killing the bull.

The deputy entered the water that was about two feet deep to retrieve White, who had been kicked in the head and his body.

“We know that at one point the rancher stated by phone that he did not believe he was going to make it,” Sheriff William Snyder said, per TC Palm. “So that bull was completely out of control, and was just doing everything he could to hurt the rancher.”

White was flown to the hospital. The bull seriously injured him causing a number of broken bones and fractures. His current condition has not been released.

White was described by the sheriff’s office as a popular and experienced rancher in the agricultural county.

This is a developing story and News Talk Florida will bring more details as they become available in this case.