A Cedartown police officer has been placed on administrative leave after fatally shooting a pet donkey during an overnight search for a missing 12-year-old girl in Polk County, Georgia.
The animal, named HeeHaw, was killed at Elsberry Riding and Farm near Rockmart at about 12.45am on Sunday, 30 August. The child was later found safely at a church close to the pasture, according to police.
Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome said the officer involved had not been identified and that the department’s command staff had opened an investigation. The case has also been referred to the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Law Enforcement Division.
“I want a state agency with expertise to handle this that is not from here to get it right,” Mr Newsome said.
What happened to HeeHaw?
Hannah Israel, the farm owner, said officers entered the pasture without permission or warning while searching for the missing child. She said her family was not told where the donkey had been shot and spent up to 20 minutes looking for his body.
A statement posted by Elsberry Riding and Farm said officers claimed HeeHaw ran towards them while braying. The post alleged that they tried to use a Taser on him before shooting him.
Ms Israel said HeeHaw had been bottle-raised, was accustomed to people and had been taken to petting zoos. She has hired a lawyer and is considering bringing a civil claim over the shooting.
Chief Newsome said he was “heartbroken” by the death. “That was a beloved animal, and it breaks my heart,” he said. “I wish it had not have happened.”
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies were not involved. It said the agencies at the scene were the Polk County Police Department and the Cedartown Police Department, and extended its condolences to HeeHaw’s family and those affected by the incident.
Officials have not said why the animal was considered a threat or provided further details about the circumstances of the shooting while the investigation remains under way.
