NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. — Town officials are pointing to a faulty linchpin as the reason several bulls escaped and rampaged through town over the weekend.
In a release sent out on Wednesday afternoon, Town Manager Michael Borg said proper safety measures were adhered to, a pin had become dislodged in the corral fence by two bulls that had jumped on each other while being unloaded from a trailer.
“From there, the bulls pushed down the fence with the dislodged pin, escaped from their pen into the event space, knocked down a perimeter fence, and fled from the parking lot,” the release said. “Subsequent investigation determined that the event organizers took reasonable precautions, and that the incident was not due to negligence.”
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Additionally, the town manager says the rodeo was unanimously approved during an August 15 meeting and the Special Events Working Group determined that the event organizers had satisfied all the requirements for hosting this one-day event, including securing four permits from the town.
“Rodeo organizers have since identified additional safeguards to reinforce their fencing and mitigate any future issues related to their fences,” the town manager said. “Representatives from the mall have also committed to attending future Special Events Working Group meetings to ensure all parties are collaborating on events and that all lease and specific town requirements are adhered to.”
The town does not anticipate any charges to be issued in connection to this incident and is also trying to recoup costs associated with its emergency response. North Attleboro officials say they’re working with the rodeo to recover those costs.
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On Sunday, police say eight escaped bulls caused havoc as they raced out of a rodeo at the Emerald Square Mall around 12:30 p.m. The number of bulls was later corrected by authorities to seven.
Video shows one of the bulls charging at a man from point-blank range before being captured.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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