An innocent baby donkey named HeeHaw was brutally shot by a Georgia cop this weekend.
A police officer, who remains unnamed, was placed on administrative leave for killing HeeHaw in his own pasture after trespassing on Elsberry Riding and Farm in Rockmart, Polk County, without the owner’s consent.
The animal sanctuary shared the tragedy on Facebook, seeking justice for their beloved donkey: ‘At 12:45am cops entered my pasture searching for a missing person WITHOUT permission or warning and shot and killed my bottle raised BABY donkey.
‘They claimed he ran up to them braying and they thought they were in danger and shot and killed him after trying to taze him.’
Shocked users are mourning HeeHaw’s murder, demanding the release of body camera footage and suggesting taking legal action against the injustice.
One user commented: ‘If a cop is afraid of a baby donkey, they should have never signed up. Seek legal counsel.’
Another one wrote: ‘There is no way they thought they were in imminent danger of bodily harm from a tiny donkey like that.’
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said its agency was not involved in the shooting but noted officers from the Polk County Police Department and the Cedartown Police Department were.
Baby donokey HeeHaw was fatally shot by an unnamed police officer who entered HeeHaw’s pasture without the owner’s permission
HeeHaw’s owner, Hannah Israel, shared the tragedy on Facebook: ‘At 12:45am cops entered my pasture searching for a missing person WITHOUT permission or warning and shot and killed my bottle raised BABY donkey’
Cedartown Police chief, Jamie Newsome, told the Daily Mail that his officers, amongst other agencies, were searching for a missing 12-year-old child and that their search took them through the animal sanctuary’s pasture.
Newsome said that he is ‘heartbroken’ by the incident but added that about an hour after HeeHaw was shot, the missing child was ‘successfully located.’
Newsome said that his police department voluntarily yielded the investigation to be handled by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Law Enforcement Division and that he is unable to provide further information on the case.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said: ‘We extend our sincere condolences to the family and everyone affected by this unfortunate incident. We understand the concern and sadness surrounding what occurred.’
The police officer who killed HeeHaw was put on adminstrative leave. Cedartown police chief, Jamie Newsome, told the Daily Mail that he is ‘heartbroken’ by the incident
HeeHaw is remembered as a ‘loved member of our family and did many petting zoos and made many people smile,’ the GoFundMe page of the animal sanctuary states
The identity of the officer who fired the fatal shot was not released and neither were any further details on why the animal was perceived as a threat.
The City of Cedartown said it is aware of the incident but will not release further information at this time due to the active investigation.
HeeHaw’s owner, Hannah Israel, set up a GoFundMe for legal fees tied to the incident.
‘He was a loved member of our family and did many petting zoos and made many people smile,’ the fundraiser states.
