A beloved one-year-old miniature donkey named HeeHaw was shot and killed by a Georgia police officer while officers were searching for a missing 12-year-old girl.

The officer said he opened fire because the donkey charged at officers and continued moving toward them even after a Taser was used. However, HeeHaw’s owner strongly disputes that account, saying the animal was a friendly family pet who had never shown aggression toward people.

The shooting happened on August 30 at Elsberry Riding and Farm in Rockmart, Georgia. The incident has since sparked widespread public outrage and raised questions about whether the use of deadly force against the animal was justified.

What happened to HeeHaw?

According to a newly released police report, Cedartown Police Officer Trenton Garner was helping search for the missing 12-year-old girl shortly after midnight on August 30.

A K-9 handler and a bloodhound team were following a trail of footprints when they entered the farm property. Garner said the officers followed the trail toward a petting zoo and pasture area.

As the team moved along a fence line, the horses in the pasture became startled and ran away. The officers then encountered HeeHaw.

Garner’s report says the donkey began moving toward the officers before charging at them. The K-9 handler reportedly pulled out a Taser and used it in an attempt to stop the animal.

According to Garner, the Taser failed to stop HeeHaw.

Garner then pulled out his department-issued Glock 17 and fired a single shot. The donkey was struck and ran up a hill before collapsing, according to the police report.

The incident was also reportedly captured by a drone being operated by Rockmart firefighters.

The missing girl was eventually found safe at a church near the area where officers were searching.

Why did the officer say he fired?

Garner’s account is that he believed HeeHaw posed a threat to the officers.

The police report says the team was moving through the property as part of the search for the missing girl when the donkey approached them and then charged. Garner said the officers first attempted to stop the animal with a Taser, but it did not work.

He then decided to use his firearm because he believed the donkey’s behavior presented a danger to the team.

HeeHaw was not involved in the missing-child case. The animal was encountered only because the search for the girl led officers onto the farm property.

The owner strongly disputes the police account

HeeHaw’s owner, Hannah Israel, has strongly rejected the suggestion that the donkey was dangerous.

Israel said HeeHaw was a one-year-old, bottle-raised animal who was accustomed to being around people. He had been kept as a family pet at Elsberry Riding and Farm and had also been used in petting zoos.

She described him as friendly and harmless and said he had never shown aggression toward strangers.

Israel has also questioned why officers entered the property and pasture without notifying the family or obtaining permission.

From her perspective, HeeHaw may have simply been reacting to unfamiliar people entering his territory. She said the donkey approached the officers and brayed, but she does not believe that meant he was trying to attack them.

The family has been left devastated by the shooting and is now seeking accountability over what happened.

HeeHaw’s owner has shared videos of him

Following his death, Israel shared videos of HeeHaw from before the shooting. The videos show the young donkey at the farm and are intended to give people a better understanding of his personality and how he interacted with humans.

Israel has also urged people not to threaten the police officer or anyone else involved in the case.

Instead, she has asked for accountability through legal channels while continuing to grieve the loss of a beloved family animal.

The officer is on administrative leave

Garner has been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.

The Cedartown Police Department confirmed that an investigation into the incident is underway. The Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement Division is also conducting an independent investigation into the shooting.

The incident has generated significant public reaction, with many people questioning whether deadly force was necessary and calling for the release of body-camera footage.

The investigation is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the encounter, including the officers’ actions, HeeHaw’s behavior and the decision to use a firearm after the Taser reportedly failed to stop the animal.

Why was HeeHaw on the property?

HeeHaw had nothing to do with the missing-child case.

Police were searching the area after the 12-year-old girl was reported missing. Officers followed a trail of footprints that eventually led them onto the farm property.

During that search, they encountered HeeHaw in the pasture area. Garner said the donkey charged at the officers, prompting the use of a Taser and then a firearm.

The girl was later found safe near a church.

While the search successfully ended with the child being located, it also resulted in the death of HeeHaw, leaving his family and many members of the public asking whether the young donkey could have been handled differently.

For Israel and her family, the central issue now is not only how HeeHaw died, but whether the circumstances that led to his death could have been avoided.