Police officer uses knife to kill injured deer loose in Modesto store

A Modesto police officer used a knife to kill a panicked, injured deer Monday after it dashed into a furniture store and caused havoc inside.

The scene was caught on video that shows the deer running and jumping through aisles of dining room tables and chairs of Forever Yours Home Furnishings until it finally stops.

A police officer quickly wrangles the deer’s neck in a restraint as it continues to struggle and fight.

The video ends before the officer used a knife to slash the deer’s throat. It died soon afterward.

Modesto police spokeswoman Heather Graves said the deer may have been hit by a car because it had injuries to its hips and one of its eyes was missing.

The deer also had a broken leg.

Officers opted against using their firearms because the store’s floors were concrete and the bullets may have ricocheted and caused injuries.

It was also a spur-of-the-moment challenge for the police officers, who aren’t trained to deal with wild animals, Graves said.

“We are not equipped to handle these types of calls,” she said.

Neither the officers nor store employees were hurt during the incident, but Graves said the potential for injury was high.

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