Police opened fire in the air to foil an alleged attempt by cattle traffickers to smuggle cows in a car at Shirthady in Dakshina Kannada district early on Sunday.
Sources said a police team, which saw cows being transported in the car, signalled to stop, but the driver of the vehicle tried to escape by reversing it.
When a police inspector present there chased the car, the driver stopped and suddenly took it forward to hit the police jeep.
Inspector Dinesh fired two rounds in the air in self- defence, and the occupants of the car ran away and escaped in another vehicle that followed the car. Six cows were found jammed inside the car with its back seats removed.
The vehicle was confiscated and a search is on for the culprits, sources said. A case has been registered under various sections of the IPC including murder attempt, rash driving, deterring public servant from discharging duty and provisions of Karnataka prevention of slaughter and preservation of cattle Act, they added.