Heartbreaking Bodycam Footage Shows Georgia Officer Shooting Donkey
A 1-year-old donkey named HeeHaw was shot and killed by a police officer while the officer was searching a farm for a missing child.
Bodycam footage released by the Cedartown Police Department shows the moment an officer shot and killed a 1-year-old donkey named HeeHaw on October 4. The incident occurred around 12:45 a.m. on the Elsberry Riding and Farm ranch in Rockmart, Georgia, as officers searched the property for a missing 12-year-old girl.
Officer Trenton Garner, who discharged his firearm, reported to dispatch that the donkey was attempting to attack them. The footage shows HeeHaw, described as a gentle animal barely waist-high to the officers, approaching the police with his ears up as they moved through the pasture with flashlights.
According to Garner's incident report, officers, including a K-9 handler and a bloodhound team, were on the farm attempting to locate the missing child. He stated that other horses on the property had been scared off, and the donkey was the only animal that allegedly charged the officers.
In the video, Garner can be heard saying, “Firearm discharged at a donkey. It was trying to attack us on a pasture.” He then deployed a Taser, which he reported was unsuccessful. From approximately 10 yards away, Garner then shot HeeHaw with his Glock 17.
The donkey ran off after being shot and was later found dead from the wound. Garner has since been placed on administrative leave, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture is investigating the incident.
Hannah Israel, HeeHaw's owner and operator of the Elsberry Riding and Farm ranch, expressed her grief and disbelief. She stated that HeeHaw was like her "son" and that he was a friendly animal who approached people inquisitively. Israel plans to pursue legal action.
"Cops entered my pasture searching for a missing person WITHOUT permission or warning and shot and killed my bottle raised BABY donkey," Israel wrote on social media. "We are heartbroken. He was my SON!!"
HeeHaw was part of a petting zoo at the ranch. The Cedartown Police Department and Israel were reportedly unavailable for immediate comment.