Loose 1,500-pound bull rounded up near Alabama school, no injuries

A 1,500-pound bull broke loose near Pickens Academy in Pickens County, Alabama, and forced deputies, Carrollton police officers and nearby residents into an unusual rural chase that ended without injury. The Pickens County Sheriff's Office said the animal was back in custody after “a few slips and falls.”

The escape prompted a coordinated response in a very rural stretch of the county, near Alabama Highway 86 and Glen Echo Road, where officials and locals worked together to contain the animal. The sheriff's office credited help from some residents as well as the Carrollton Police Department in getting the bull under control.

Social posts tied to the incident identified the animal as Rowdy, and said the bull had broken loose near the school before being rounded up. The sheriff's office said the response near Pickens Academy ended safely, with no injuries reported to deputies, officers, bystanders or the animal.

The scene underscored the kind of hazards first responders can face outside city limits, where a livestock escape can quickly become a public-safety problem. In this case, the bull's size and the terrain made the roundup a hands-on effort, but deputies said the animal was secured and returned to custody by the end of the encounter.