Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jaeson Smith has decided that a Cedartown police officer, Trenton Garner, will not face criminal charges for fatally shooting a donkey named HeeHaw during a search for a missing juvenile in August. The decision followed a comprehensive 12-page report that included body-camera footage, witness interviews, and findings from the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
According to DA Smith, Officer Garner’s actions were legally justified due to a perceived immediate threat from the donkey. Smith defended the officers’ entry into the pasture as necessary under the circumstances of the search for the missing child.
The incident unfolded on the night of August 29 when reports emerged of a missing juvenile who might be suicidal. As the search intensified, officers encountered HeeHaw in a pasture. Body-camera footage reveals that the officers initially retreated, but as the donkey approached, Officer Thomasson backed away and deployed his Taser before Garnet fired a shot.
Despite the donkey’s owner’s claims that HeeHaw was friendly and had never exhibited aggressive behavior, witness accounts presented conflicting views, suggesting a history of aggression. The report also noted discrepancies regarding HeeHaw’s size.
DA Smith criticized certain investigative findings by the Department of Agriculture, arguing that they did not accurately reflect the situation or the officers’ perceptions of danger. Smith’s report highlighted the complexity of this incident, prompting an ongoing battle for accountability from the donkey’s owner, Hannah Israel, who demands justice for HeeHaw.
