Georgia cop reveals why he shot dead a family’s pet donkey
A Georgia cop has revealed why he shot a family’s beloved pet donkey as his department released the officer’s report to quell outrage over the killing.
Trenton Garner, an officer in Cedartown, Georgia, shot and killed the donkey, named “HeeHaw,” on August 30.
He was sent along with a K-9 handler and a bloodhound team to search for a girl who had been reported missing approximately two hours prior, according to his report.
Garner said he and the other officers were following a trail through the woods and into a pasture. They found footprints near the route and began to search the area with the help of the dogs and a drone team from the Rockmart Fire Department, CBS News reports.
The officers’ presence near the fence line scared the horses in the pasture off, but — according to Garner’s account — the miniature donkey HeeHaw instead charged at the officers.
“As we were tacking down the fence line, the horses in the pasture spooked and ran back away from us across the pasture,” Garner wrote. “At this time, K-9 Handler Thomasson stated that there was a donkey on the side of the hill. The donkey then began to charge at us.”
Garner also wrote that the Haralson County bloodhound team “retreated” from the miniature donkey. The officer said he tried to use his Taser but it did not stop HeeHaw. He said he pulled out his department-issued weapon and fired, hitting HeeHaw.
The donkey turned away from the officers, ran up a hill, and then collapsed, according to the report.
Garner told his supervisor he shot the animal to protect the K-9 handler and the bloodhound team, The Rockmart firefighters operating the drone said they captured the incident on the machine’s camera.
The missing girl was eventually found safe further down the road the police were searching.
Hannah Israel, who owned HeeHaw, told police that the animal was worth approximately $6,000, and insisted he had never acted aggressively or tried to hurt anyone.
“Cops entered my pasture searching for a missing person WITHOUT permission or warning and shot and killed my bottle raised BABY donkey,” she wrote in a social media post on Sunday. “HeeHaw was raised in the house and did petting zoos he never knew a stranger. And was shot and killed in his OWN pasture for doing what donkeys do.”
She said in a statement, posted by Elsberry Riding and Farm, that she is “heartbroken and traumatized” by HeeHaw’s death and is demanding accountability and answers from the police.
Israel also said she does not condone anyone sending death threats to Garner or anyone else involved in the incident.
“We can seek accountability without hatred,” she wrote.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement is investigating the incident. Garner has been placed on leave for the duration of that investigation.
