A Georgia police officer has given his account of the moment he fatally fired a one-year-old donkey during a search for a missing girl.
Officer Trenton Garner said the animal charged at him and another officer after they entered the pasture late at night.
The K-9 handler reportedly tried to stop the donkey with a Taser, but it did not work. Garner then fired one sh*t.
Highlights
- Georgia officer Trenton Garner said he fatally fired one-year-old donkey HeeHaw.
- HeeHaw’s owner Hannah Israel described him as a gentle and bottle-raised pet.
- The officer was placed on administrative leave as Georgia authorities investigate the firing.
The donkey, named HeeHaw, later collapsed and passed away. His owner, Hannah Israel, has since shared a heartbreaking video filmed just three days before his passing.
An officer shared his side of the story after fatally wounding a baby donkey
The firing happened at around 12:45 a.m. Sunday at the Elsberry Riding and Farm ranch in Rockmart, Georgia, according to an incident report seen by The Post.
Garner, a Cedartown Police Department officer and K-9 handler, was helping search for a missing 12-year-old girl. A bloodhound team had followed a trail of footprints onto the property and into an area used as a petting zoo.
The officers first came across several horses.
“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 in his report, according to The Post.
He then said the K-9 handler, Thomasson, noticed a donkey on the side of a hill.
“The donkey then began to charge at us,” Garner stated.
According to Garner’s account, Thomasson pulled out his Taser and aimed it at HeeHaw. The device reportedly failed to stop the animal.
“This in fact did not deter the donkey, so I removed my department-issued Glock 17 from its holster and pointed it at the donkey. I then fired a single round striking the donkey,” Garner wrote in the report.
HeeHaw reportedly turned around and ran back up the hill before collapsing. The missing girl was later found at a nearby church.
HeeHaw’s owner said he was a gentle pet who had never known a stranger
Hannah Israel, HeeHaw’s owner, gave police a very different picture of the donkey’s behavior.
After the firing, officers spoke with Israel, who said HeeHaw “would never act aggressive towards anyone, nor would it try to bite anyone,” according to Garner's report.
Israel had described HeeHaw as a bottle-raised pet who was treated like part of her family.
“HeeHaw was raised in the house and did petting zoos; he never knew a stranger,” she wrote online.
She also said the donkey had been doing what donkeys naturally do when they see someone unfamiliar.
“And was sh*t and k*lled in his OWN pasture for doing what donkeys do. Alerting to a stranger.”
Israel called the animal her son and said the family was devastated by his passing.
“We are heartbroken. He was my son,” she wrote.
She later shared a photo from the aftermath of the firing showing herself grieving beside HeeHaw’s body.
The incident has also raised questions over why officers entered the pasture without notifying the family.
Israel has said police entered the property “WITHOUT permission or warning” while searching for the missing child, as reported by Bored Panda.
She has vowed to take legal action.
The tragedy became even more painful for Israel after she shared a video showing HeeHaw just three days before he was slain
In the clip, the young donkey happily comes toward his owner from the fields.
“HeeHaw,” Israel calls out excitedly.
The animal walks over and affectionately rubs his head against her.
“Hi, HeeHaw,” she says. “How are you? Good morning. Good morning, HeeHaw.”
“Good morning, baby,” she adds while running her hand through his mane.
Israel said the video was filmed shortly before his passing and has since become a painful reminder of the animal she expected to have around for many more years.
“He just had his first birthday a couple of months ago,” she told Gray News.
“He should not be d*ad. The whole circumstances literally say that HeeHaw shouldn’t have d*ed.”
She added that donkeys can live for decades.
“Like, I thought I would raise my future kids with HeeHaw, but instead he’s gone. So, it’s very devastating.”
After the incident, the officer who fired the baby donkey has been placed on administrative leave
The Cedartown Police Department has confirmed that the officer involved in the firing was placed on administrative leave.
Police Chief Jamie Newsome said the Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement is conducting an independent investigation into what happened.
The department has not publicly commented on Israel’s version of events beyond the information provided about the officer’s leave.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office also clarified that its deputies were not involved in the firing while offering condolences to the family.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the family and everyone affected by this unfortunate incident,” the sheriff's office said in a statement. “We understand the concern and sadness surrounding what occurred.”
The investigation will now determine the circumstances surrounding the firing and whether the officer followed proper procedures.
Israel also created a GoFundMe to help with legal expenses and establish a foundation in HeeHaw's memory
The fundraiser initially had a $30,000 goal but quickly received more support.
Israel later said the community had raised more than $113,250 and that she was “blown away” by the response.
She thanked people for donating, sharing her posts, making T-shirts and reaching out to her directly.
“Heehaw's life mattered, and y’all have proved that!” she wrote.
Israel later said she had hired a lawyer who would not be using the GoFundMe money. She also said people who donated for legal fees could request their money back.
According to her update, the remaining funds would go toward caring for the farm’s animals and creating the HeeHaw foundation.
“None of it for our personal needs. This is not a payday for us. HeeHaw's life has no monetary value,” she wrote.
"Why would he do that?" asked one user
