The fallout over the death of HeeHaw the donkey, explained
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HeeHaw's owner is suing the officer who shot and killed the miniature donkey. Photo: Courtesy of Hannah Israel
The police killing of a 1-year-old donkey named HeeHaw at a farm near Rockmart has sparked a state investigation and legal battle over when officers can use lethal force against animals.
Driving the news: Cedartown police officer Trenton Ryan Garner, who was placed on administrative leave after shooting the donkey, has asked a federal judge to dismiss a civil rights lawsuit filed against him by HeeHaw's owner, Hannah Israel.
Catch up quick: Shortly after midnight Aug. 30, officers entered a pasture at Elsberry Riding and Farm while searching for a missing 12-year-old girl.
- Garner said HeeHaw charged toward the officers.
- A Polk County K-9 handler activated a Taser to scare away the animal. When HeeHaw continued approaching, Garner fired one shot, according to the department's incident report.
- The donkey ran away before collapsing. The missing girl was later found safe at a nearby church.
- Body camera footage released in October shows HeeHaw approaching the officers before the shooting.
The other side: Israel, who said she bottle-raised HeeHaw, disputes the officer's account. In a Facebook statement, she said she was heartbroken and that HeeHaw "was my son."
- Her federal lawsuit against Garner alleges that officers violated her constitutional rights by entering the fenced pasture without a warrant or permission and shooting HeeHaw without justification.
- Israel's attorney also sent a $1 million demand for payment to Cedartown city and police officials, WSB-TV reports.
Zoom out: Israel's Facebook posts about HeeHaw's death sparked a social media firestorm. A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $160,000 — well above her initial $3,500 goal, she told the Rome News-Tribune in September — to support the farm's animals and help establish a foundation in the donkey's honor.
- Half of the amount raised came from the cryptocurrency community, Israel wrote in an update to the campaign. A meme cryptocurrency in HeeHaw's honor was also created.
What they're saying: Garner's attorney argues that the officer reasonably believed HeeHaw posed an imminent threat to another officer and that the shooting was justified.
What's next: The Georgia Department of Agriculture's Law Enforcement Division is conducting an outside investigation.
- A department spokesperson did not respond to Axios' request for comment. The investigation and federal lawsuit remain unresolved.
Christopher McCormick, Israel's attorney, said he planned to file a response to the officer's request to dismiss the case on Monday.