Out-of-control steer escapes meat market, heads to Florida airport for showdown

A desperado steer escaped one of Florida’s meat markets and headed straight to the airport, according to the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office.

It happened Wednesday, Aug. 17, and the resulting showdown at the Arcadia Municipal Airport included a teaming of sheriff’s deputies and lasso twirling cowboys on horse back. The airport is about 90 miles southeast of Tampa.

“Apparently, this guy wanted to see if cows could fly,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook. “He was headed to ... catch the next flight out of town.”

What followed “looked like the Wild West,” the airport said, with the steer leading cowboys on a chase down the road before getting caught.

The bovine’s bid for freedom began when it escaped “death row” at Fussell’s Meat Market, 1.3 miles northeast of the airport. Call it coincidence or irony, but a lot of fliers come to Arcadia for the beef, the airport said.

“Pilot’s fly in with coolers then take our courtesy car to Fussell’s,” the airport reported.

“Someone last week from North Carolina flew all the way here to get their coolers filled with Fussell’s meat.”

Jimmy and Corey Fussell caught the steer, which witnesses say was “running flat out” past vehicles through the neighborhood.

The incident has gotten hundreds of reactions on social media, including some from vegans and vegetarians who were Team Steer.

“He did not want to end up on somebody’s eating table. Can you blame him for running,” one commenter wrote.

“He had a flight to catch,” another said.

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