Farmer Killed by 2 Water Buffalo He Just Bought

A farmer in Oklahoma bought two water buffalo at a livestock auction on Thursday and was killed by them the next day, authorities say. Police believe Brad McMichael, 45, became trapped in the animals' enclosure while he was tending to them Friday in Jones, a town around 20 miles from Oklahoma City, NBC News reports. Jones Police Chief Bryan Farrington says first responders were "initially unable to reach the victim due to the aggressive behavior of the animals."

Farrington says one water buffalo was shot to allow first responders to reach McMichael and the second one was also "dispatched" after it became "increasingly agitated and posed a threat to emergency personnel." McMichael, the chief says, "sustained multiple deep lacerations that proved to be fatal." Relatives say McMichael had many years of experience handling livestock and it wasn't unusual for him to be around exotic animals.

"The cattle farming, that's his thing. He's been here his whole life, and he's done that his whole life," his ex-wife, Amy Smith, tells KFOR. His girlfriend, Jennifer Green, tells KOCO 5 that McMichael was "most likely going to sell them or find another way to utilize them." "Livestock can be aggressive in any moment if they're stressed when they're in an auction environment, when they're traveling, when they're with new owners," she says.