NORWICH – After being on the run for three months a six-foot-tall, escaped emu’s cold-weather crime spree ended Tuesday night after Norwich Police Officers were able to corner the fugitive into a livestock-trailer.

Despite resisting capture, no charges were filed and no one, including the emu, was injured.

NPD Officer Grant Wessels said officers first got the call around 2:30 p.m. after the infamous bird was spotted in the city’s newly renovated South Broad Street Park near Chenango Ave.

Following suspicious tracks left in the snow as their guide, officers tracked the footprints into a nearby backyard on Coomes Street. They quickly located the large bird as it fled north toward the downtown area.

“We kind of tried to trap it in there for a while,” Wessels said, adding that officers were simultaneously trying to reach state environmental officials and the bird’s owner. “We went to switch cars at the house and the emu ran in between our cars and took off further into the city.”

The police pursuit then continued. Wessels said the emu caused no property damage and never posed a danger to residents.

Police Chief Scott Burlison said officers were able to contain the emu within a fenced-in yard, allowing police to secure the scene and prevent the animal from moving into more congested areas.

During the investigation, the original owner reported that the emu had recently been sold to a second owner residing in Bainbridge. Before police were able to contact the new owner, officers reached out to several outside agencies to request assistance in safely capturing the animal. Many agencies declined due to the size and nature of the emu.

Chief Burlison extended his sincere appreciation to RTG, Rentals-to-Go of Norwich, who promptly responded with staff and equipment and were willing to assist in the capture effort. Their support was instrumental in resolving the situation safely.

“My biggest fear was that the emu, once loose, could be struck by a vehicle, enter a residence through a sliding glass door, or potentially injure a citizen or an officer on scene," Burlison said. "This incident could have had a very different outcome if not for the patience and determination shown by our responding officers."

According to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, emus are classified as livestock and do not require any special permit to possess.

Police notified homeowners whenever the bird slipped into backyards and the emu’s current owner shortly arrived to help corral the animal.

With aid from the owner, officers eventually managed to contain the bird in backyard on Francis Avenue and herd it into a waiting trailer and into custody.

Wessels estimated the emu stood about six feet tall and weighed around 100 pounds. Despite spending months outside the bird appeared to be in good health.

“It was a process, basically just like guiding it to the trailer,” Wessels said. “There was somebody behind it and somebody on each side, so it only had one way to run, and it ran right into the back of the trailer.”

Police said the fugitive emu’s story stretches back about three months, when it was first reported missing from a private farm on Inman Road in Plymouth.

The bird had not been seen within city limits before its capture, but several sightings had been reported around the area. The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office responded to multiple calls over the past couple of months involving the emu.

Chief Burlison commended the professionalism and persistence of the officers involved, noting the challenges presented by handling such a large animal in an urban environment.

The call was a first in Wessels’ four-year law enforcement career, he said.

“I’ve had dog calls and things along those lines, but not livestock,” he said. “They’re super fast. This thing was outrunning me and I was in the patrol car. We were kind of trying to guide it with the car.”

Throughout the hours-long effort, no tickets were issued and no agencies ended up taking enforcement action.

“This is a happy story,” he said. “It was returned to its new owner.” The owner, he added, was “super grateful.”

At Norwich police headquarters, the bird even picked up an alias. “We named it Eddie at the PD,” Wessels said. “One of our officers here said he had a childhood dream of owning an emu, and he was going to name it Eddie the emu. So we labeled it Eddie.”

Wessels, who has been with the Norwich Police Department for about a year, said the call will be hard to top.

“I’m just glad that we were able to return it to its owner and it’s out of the wild,” he said. “Now it’ll be in a controlled environment and be fed.”