Beloved Baby Donkey HeeHaw Shot & Killed By Police Officer In His Own Pasture In Georgia
Photo Credit: Hannah Israel
HeeHaw, a beloved bottle-raised donkey, was killed in his own pasture in Georgia early Sunday morning when a Cedartown police officer fired a fatal shot during a search for a missing juvenile.
A Cedartown Police Department incident report identifies Trenton Garner as the officer who fired the fatal shot. The report was obtained through a public records request by Zak George.
According to the police report, officers and a K-9 team were tracking through HeeHaw’s pasture when they encountered him. In his account of the incident, Garner wrote, “The donkey then began to charge at us.”
The report states that a K-9 handler drew and activated his Taser-7 in an attempt to deter HeeHaw before Garner fired a single shot, killing him.
The report also states that a Rockmart Fire Department drone was observing the search from above and that drone operators witnessed the incident.
HeeHaw’s owner, Hannah Israel, told officers that she had bottle-fed him since infancy and that he had never acted aggressively toward anyone.
On her GoFundMe, Israel described HeeHaw as “a loved member of our family.”
Israel says donations will support the farm, the care of its animals, and a fund to establish a foundation in HeeHaw’s memory. In an August 31 update, she clarified that the lawyer she hired would not be paid with GoFundMe donations.
Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome has said the officer involved was placed on administrative leave and that the Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement Division is conducting an independent investigation into HeeHaw’s death.
World Animal News and Peace 4 Animals are heartbroken over the tragic killing of HeeHaw and stand with his family in their call for answers, accountability, and justice. Animals should be safe in their own homes and on their own property. Justice for HeeHaw.
