Cow killer? Man accused of using front-end loader to bludgeon cow in Wise County

Witnesses say a 62-year-old man went to great lengths to grab a cow in Wise County but then it turned deadly.

Jackie Floyd Reaves, 62, “did drag a living cow by the neck,” on June 4 according to a probable cause warrant affidavit signed by John P. Bradshaw, an investigator for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

But a witness told investigators it didn’t stop there.

“Reaves had a tan cow alive but down on the ground that he could not get up,” the affidavit said. “Witnesses said that Reaves used his front-end loader and slammed the bucket on the cow’s head until it was dead.”

The affidavit did not give a precise location where the incident occurred in Wise County.

On Sept. 3, Reaves was arrested on a cruelty to animals charge, which is a Class A misdemeanor, and booked into the Montague County Jail. Bond was set at $3,000 and Reaves posted bail on Sept. 4.

A person convicted of a Class A misdemeanor can face a maximum of a year in jail and fine up to $4,000.

Jeremy Fuchs, a spokesman for the Cattle Raisers, said he couldn’t comment further about the case but the agency’s investigators provide their expertise when asked by local law enforcement.

“We take these things very seriously,’ Fuchs said.

This story was originally published September 12, 2018 at 1:05 PM with the headline "Cow killer? Man accused of using front-end loader to bludgeon cow in Wise County."