Bull breaks loose in Central Falls

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. (WPRI) - A rodeo bull broke free from its pen and rushed into a crowd of onlookers at a rodeo at Macomber Stadium on High Street Sunday afternoon.

"Everyone started running this way, and then there was a bull running everywhere. It started running everywhere. We just jumped in the car," said an eyewitness.

The animal got loose around 5 p.m. Witnesses and police said rodeo handlers chased it and caught the animal, but it fought them off and ran off again.

Handlers were finally able to rope the bull and lead it back into a pen about 20 minutes later. No one was hurt.

Central Falls Police brought in extra officers and weapons, in case the bull managed to escape into the city.

The rodeo was part of the annual Mexican American celebration. Officials say this was the first time in the event's 32-year-history that a bull got free.

Police said they were reviewing the incident, and plan to take extra safety precautions in the future.