I've twice encountered large animals wandering on the public road (live in a semi-rural area).
I'm not confident with them, but first time Mr Mice was with me and when we encountered a horse on the main road, he got hold of its mane and guided it towards the nearest farm - I went on ahead with the dogs, which I tied to a gate before going up to the farmhouse to let the farmer know. It was about 10.00 at night - it wasn't his horse but he put it in the field with his own and said he'd sort it in the morning. Nobody hurt, no drama.
The second time it was me and the dogs and we encountered a bullock starting towards the main road. This was mid--morning and there is a lot of traffic, so that was potentially more serious. There's nothing to grab on a bullock and I was alone so I ran like the wind towards the farm, again tied my dogs to a gate and went through the farmhouse to let them know where it was. Someone came and corralled it back into the field. Again, nobody hurt, no drama.
I have to admit I was more worried about the bullock than the horse because cattle can be very funny around dogs, but it was just curious.
Long-winded, but the point is that almost every one of these animals is just lost and wondering where to go - if they are kept calm, and people are stopped from going near them and panicking them, they won't be a problem. There is certainly no need for the type of brutality the police seem to show so often.
If an animal IS a danger then just keep people away - block off the road, call a vet (or even a police marksman if it is such a problem) - but there is no need to be such a cruel, stupid twat about it. Do any of these officers ever stop to think?