It’s not every day you see police chasing a giant bird down a country road—but that’s exactly what happened in rural Ohio when deputies spent 45 minutes trying to wrangle a runaway emu on the loose near Salesville.
According to the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office, deputies Shayne Leggett and Andrew Daymut responded after reports of the bird strutting through the area on Friday, Oct. 17. What followed was a chaotic yet comical scene as officers attempted to corral the towering bird using catch poles while dispatchers monitored the chase via live cruiser and body camera feeds.
Drivers passing by must’ve done a double take. The sheriff’s office later joked on Facebook, “Just another Friday night in rural Ohio.”
Body cam footage showed the emu darting through fields and across roads, occasionally lunging at officers with its sharp claws. “Heard they’re aggressive,” one deputy said with a laugh. “I guess I’ll fight him with a stick.” Thankfully, no one was injured—including the bird.
After nearly an hour of feathery chaos, the emu’s owner arrived to help bring the chase to a calm ending. Deputies carefully guided the bird into the back of a pickup truck, wrapping up one of the strangest calls of their careers.
The sheriff’s office applauded the quick-thinking deputies and ended their post with a wry reminder: “Just another day in law enforcement, where surprises are always on the horizon—and sometimes they have feathers.”
The emu was safely returned home, and officers got a story they’ll be telling for years.