Bobo the fugitive boar is back home in New Hope after a week-long manhunt, an event captured and preserved for posterity by a Columbus Police officer and others on the scene.
A video of a portion of Tuesday’s four-hour swine standoff, posted by Columbus councilman Pierre Beard and others on Facebook, quickly elicited a stream of comments, most of which talked about how funny it was see the police officers’ mostly futile attempts to secure Bobo.
In addition to two animal control officers, four CPD officers and a couple of public works employees joined the fray. The video showed the pig posse had managed to toss a rope around Bobo’s neck, which proved to be the easiest part of the process. One by one, officers grabbed the rope and tried to get Bobo under control only to be dragged around in the dust and bushes before losing their grip. Once they were able to finally hogtie Bobo’s back legs, CPD officer Mack Smith was seen sitting astride Bobo.
There is much to be observed from this incident.
First, it emphasizes the uncertainty of a police officer’s job. For all the training a cop acquires, it’s a sure bet that none of it involved catching and subduing a 700-pound boar. There are some situations no amount of experience or training can prepare a cop for. They still have to respond to their call and deal with the situation on the fly. After watching Bobo sling these officers around like rag dolls, putting the animal down would not have been an unreasonable solution, especially since that will soon be Bobo’s fate anyway. Kudos to CPD for rising to the challenge and sticking with it.
It’s a universal truth that law enforcement officers pay careful attention to the image they want to present to the public – an image of strength, competence, control, professionalism.
Little of that was on display in this video. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
But in a very real way, the video is a favorable portrayal of the CPD. It humanized the officers and put on display a sense of humor that we rarely associate with the serious business of law enforcement.
It is important that we see law enforcement as dedicated and skilled professionals. But it is also important to realize that beneath that veneer of blue, they’re a lot like the rest of us.
As for Bobo, nuisance though he may have been, we cannot begrudge him for his desperate flight to freedom and whatever else he may have gained from his week on the run.
Poor Bobo will soon be ham and bacon. Such is the life of a hog. But the record will show Bobo did not go gently into that good night.
The video, which is available online, will vouch for that.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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