Rampaging Bulls

Two bulls managed to work together and lift up one of the 100 pound steel panels that made up their enclosure and escape at the California State Fair. The bulls began rampaging through the grounds of the fair. Bystanders scrambled to get out of the way and to get children to safety.

As the bulls rushed out, Cal Expo Police Officer Pam Irey summoned onlookers to get out of the way. Her daughter Shelby, 16, was preparing for a flag ceremony in the staging area with nearly two dozen members of the sheriff's Explorers program.

"My mom grabbed a 5-year-old boy and tossed him over the fence to a cowboy so he wouldn't be trampled," she said. "She distracted the bulls from another Explorer."

Then the bulls charged Irey. She remained hospitalized Tuesday with broken ribs, a minor concussion and some abrasions, State Fair spokeswoman Jessica Dunning said.

The fair's deputy general manager, Brian May, called Irey a hero.

"Her instinct as a police officer was to warn people," May said. "She waved her arms, drew the attention of the bulls and was charged herself."

Best wishes for a speedy recovery for Pam Irey.