New details have emerged surrounding the death of HeeHaw, a beloved one-year-old miniature donkey who was killed during a police search for a missing child in Georgia. According to a newly released police report, firefighters operating a drone were above the area when the encounter between the officers and HeeHaw occurred.
The incident happened on August 30 in Polk County as authorities searched for a missing 12-year-old girl. Officer Trenton Garner of the Cedartown Police Department was assisting a K-9 handler and a bloodhound team when they followed a trail through the woods and into a pasture.
Garner’s report says the search team was following a fence line when horses in the pasture became frightened and moved away. He then reported that HeeHaw was spotted on a hillside and began moving toward the officers. According to his account, the K-9 team retreated as the donkey approached.
The report says a K-9 handler attempted to discourage HeeHaw from approaching, but Garner said the effort did not stop the animal. Garner then reported firing one shot, after which HeeHaw moved back up the hill and collapsed.
One of the most significant new details is that Rockmart Fire Department personnel were operating a drone during the search. According to the police report, the firefighters told officers that they witnessed the encounter through the drone’s camera.
That detail has intensified calls for transparency because the reported drone footage could potentially provide another perspective on the encounter. However, the footage itself has not been publicly released in the reports reviewed, and officials have not publicly established what the video ultimately shows.
HeeHaw’s owner, Hannah Israel, has given a very different description of the animal. She has said the donkey was bottle-raised, highly socialized and accustomed to being around people through activities including petting zoos and visits with children and nursing-home residents.
Israel has questioned the circumstances surrounding the shooting and has called for the release of available body-camera and drone footage. Community members have also called for greater transparency as the investigation continues.
Garner has been placed on administrative leave while the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Law Enforcement Division conducts an independent investigation. No charges have been reported against him, and authorities have said the incident will be investigated thoroughly and impartially.
The missing girl was eventually found safe farther down the road in the direction the search team had been tracking. The circumstances surrounding HeeHaw’s death, however, remain under investigation, with the officer’s account, the owner’s account and potentially recorded footage all important to determining exactly what happened.
For now, the drone operators’ reported observation is one of the most notable pieces of information to emerge, but it should not be confused with a publicly verified video showing the entire encounter. Until investigators release or characterize the footage, questions about the incident remain unanswered.
Compiled with information from various sources.
