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A Georgia family is mourning the loss of its one-year-old donkey after a police officer shot and killed the animal during a search for a missing child.
The incident happened around 12:45 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, at Elsberry Riding and Farm in Rockmart, Georgia.
According to Local 3 News, a Cedartown police officer was helping the Polk County Police Department search for a missing 12-year-old girl.
The child was later found safe at a church near the pasture. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office clarified that its deputies were not involved in the incident.
During the search, officers entered the pasture and encountered HeeHaw, a young donkey his owner described as the farm’s “social butterfly.”
Farm owner Hannah Israel said police told her HeeHaw ran toward the officers while braying. According to Israel’s account, officers attempted to use a Taser before one officer shot and killed him.
Police have confirmed the shooting but have not publicly confirmed the Taser account or explained why the officer believed the donkey presented a threat.
Israel said she could not imagine HeeHaw behaving aggressively enough to warrant being shot.
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“HeeHaw loves people. That’s his thing,” she told Local 3 News.
Israel said HeeHaw regularly approached visitors, made noises and placed his nose close to them to investigate. She believes his friendly behavior may have been misunderstood.
Israel also said officers entered the property without first receiving permission from the family. She questioned how they accessed the pasture and why nobody remained to show the family where HeeHaw’s body was located.
Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome confirmed that the unidentified officer was placed on paid administrative leave. The investigation has been turned over to the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Law Enforcement Division, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
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Newsome said he would not offer an opinion while the outside investigation remains active.
“My heart goes out to them, and my prayers are with them,” Newsome said. “This was a very tragic and very unfortunate incident.”
Body-camera footage of the encounter exists. Newsome said he has reviewed it but would not describe what it shows out of respect for the state investigation. The footage has not been publicly released, according to WXIA’s report.
Israel said HeeHaw was bottle-raised, spent his first months inside the family’s home and participated in local petting zoos.
“Nothing will ever be the same again,” she said.
The family has hired an attorney and is considering legal action. As of Sept. 3, investigators had not announced any findings, charges or disciplinary decisions.
As always, stay tuned for updates.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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This is exactly why you dont talk, consent or interact w cops. Never ends well 🤯
One bad cop taint’s all the good ones,but they should not be trespassing.
Like any profession, not all police are suited for the job. This officer appears to lack either judgement of bravery, or both.
Can’t blame the cops, they are just a tool. In this day and age it’s the courts that have let us down giving them way to much power over the citizens of this country. Dam judges rubber stamping any search warrants a cop puts in front of them we are living in a very real form of tyranny do to the bad laws and judges that have forgotten to protect our rights and freedoms…
Rumor has it that the donkey was armed.
If that was my animal that would be laying right next to it.
Yeah, another trigger-happy Barney Fife…..and on someone’s private property without permission. This @ssclown shouldn’t even be issued ONE bullet!
OMG! that is so stupid, and he should never be a police officer ever!
The officer needs to be fired and the family is owned compensation fir the loss of the animal and emotional distress. Shooting a one-year old donkey is like shooting a puppy or kitten.
Wow. Let’s not wait for the bodycam footage or even for the investigation to be completed. Not trying to be a jerk but we should not be firing someone, ruining their lives, without the officer even providing the reason for using lethal force. Sounds a little like a lynch mob.
As a farmer there is no excuse for this shooting. Donkeys are protectors , we have gardian dogs same thing. If the pd is on private property and shoots an animal for doing there job wow. The problem is from the brain to trigger finger. This is a no shoot, take the hit situation or get brayed at its a farm animal. Ok sure put myself in pd shoes, city folk with no farm sense, if u are scared to death discharge your bang stick at the ground. Works great for scaring grizzlies and they are wild.
Imagine being such a weak little cuck that a mini donkey thats braying, is an excuse to cap off a harmless animal.
Hopefully this cop gets bankrupt and fired.
so this officer basically kills a family pet and the first thing the department does is give him a paid vacation.
💯
The question was asked a few weeks back if police officers shoot too many family pets. I answered that with a story of my own that happened when I was a LEO. I don’t believe any body cam video could convince me that shooting that animal was justified. I would have a difficult time even believing that donkey was even a threat. Even if he was aggressive, It’s hard for me to believe that a ‘MAN’ or woman couldn’t handle a baby donkey in a multitude of different ways without having to shoot him. I for one would like to see that body cam video!
IT IS A GOOD THING HE DID NOT FIND THE CHILD. SHE MGHT HAVE CRIED.
Yep another cop who spent his highschool years being the punching bag for anyone and everyone. Give him a badge and it’s I’ll shoot anyone or anything that looks it’s going to hurt me. It’s sad a lil donkey made this cop 💩 himself that he had to shoot the lil guy. He better be fired and never allowed to wear a badge again.
💯
How about we address the elephant in the room… let’s talk about the arrest of the incompetent parents who allow their 12 year-old daughter to run around town at that time of night. That’s the story I wanna hear about.
We already know that anyone that would shoot a donkey that size is a moron and doesn’t deserve to wear the badge. What a wee cunt!
Another trigger happy, untrained officer terrified at his job. It’s past time for qualified immunity be removed from the police, judges, etc. I mean most have at best a high school education and their training seems to be to shoot anything that makes you uncomfortable. What a dangerous clown this officer is. But I’m sure nothing at all will happen to him. Can you imagine this cop at a petting zoo? Imagine the outnumbered cop just unloading on wave after wave of attack goats
Sound’s like this idiot cop is Barney Fife. Fire the dumb bastard and allow the family to sue him personally, no hiding behind governmental support!!
I hope those people sue the hell out of the cop, his boss, the county, mayor – all of them. What does it say about a cop that can’t even handle a baby donkey, even if it bit him? No pepper spray? Hopefully they’ll terminate that officer, at the very least. He doesn’t need to be in that job position.
Obviously he doesn’t have the temperament for it and is trigger happy.
Another jittery, trigger happy cop who’s probably never been around farm animals.
Sue the hell out of the county and incarcerate the officer for animal abuse.
that warrants cruelty to farm animals..abusive destructive life ending..tresspassing charges etc…sue the whole dam dept..bullies with guns
Everyone knows a donkey is like a king cobra or a stone fish or a brown recluse spider or a scorpion; instantly deadly upon contact. You have to shoot them on sight to protect your fatbody self.
PLEASE tell me you’re just being cynical…
Exactly!
All cops are scum so I’m not at all shocked one shot a donkey.
Not all cops are scum dumbass.
All cops are scum, shitbird.
I’ll break it down for you and maybe you’ll stop being a bootlicking piece of shit.
Every single police department has at a minimum one corrupt, violence obsessed waste of flesh in it. Every other jackbooted ass clown that works in that department knows who they are and they do nothing about the corrupt piece of shit. This makes them complicate in all of the absuses and crimes committed by the piece or pieces of shit in the department.
All cops are scum. Anyone defending them is a class traitor and a boot licking toadying waste of flesh.
You, because you back the police, do not deserve the freedoms you currently have.
Boy – you really have anger management issues, don’t you? Were you born with that much hatred in your heart, or did it take you a while to amass it?🙄
Hello J…. I enjoy my freedoms because the police help defend my freedoms Idiot. It’s not my fault you got a speeding ticket and your panties have been in a wad ever since. If we didn’t have any law enforcement at all, you would be the first one targeted because your pussy ass would be the first one hiding in your basement cause they know you’re all talk. Pretty obvious from your reaction. Go hide before it’s too late chicken shit. You’re no Rooster, that’s for sure.
*complicit
Class traitor. New one on me. Sounds like a marxist holdover from the old country. I owe no allegiance to any social or economic class because I am an American and am not bound to any class, therefore I cannot truly be a class traitor. Not that any of this matters when the mod shows up to sieze the means of production and throw my free, economically mobile backside up against the wall alongside whatever other kinds of traitors (race, class, community, alphabet mob, Gaza) they can name.
Not so, but they are not infallible either and occasionally the bad 1%’er rears their ugly head. Obviously this cop doesn’t have the temperament for the job, or the proper sensitivity training. If he had half a brain he would know people use donkeys as herd protectors. A donkey will kill a mountain loin, coyote, or any other animal it feels is a threat to the herd. Donkey are not hardwired to look at humans as a threat, even though one might bite you.
But to kill a baby donkey that has been bottle fed, reared by hand, and runs up to you braying expecting a treat from a human is despicable. I just hope public demand will cause his termination and they sue the crap of of them.
All cops are scum. They’re either corrupt or know cops that are and do nothing about it there by becoming complicate in the corruption.
They’re all useless pieces of shit. Stop defending them. They’re class traitors and deserve death.
You said that already….quit crying and move on.
Hello Everyone , this is some of the lowest of the low. Killing any family animals on private property is beyond insane. Why are these LE scumbags doing and getting away with so many crimes ? Hold these SCUMBAGS acountable, hold their jurisdiction acountable, sue them in a personal capacity, get them fired and help keep America free from this ongoing POLICE CRIMINAL CRIME THAT HAS TAKEN OVER OUR COUNTRY.
City folk shouldn’t go where livestock is kept. A typical country boy cop would not feel “threatened ” by a donkey.
they need to shoot criminals not innocent animals!
Officer badge no. BR-549.
Good one!!!
Hey hey hey… Let’s not insult Junior Samples. He runs a tight ship in his used car business, lol!