Overview
- A Cedartown police officer fatally shot a bottle‑raised family donkey named HeeHaw while officers were searching a pasture for a missing child, and the animal’s owner says officers entered without permission; the shooting took place late Sunday night.
- Cedartown has put the unnamed officer on paid administrative leave and opened an internal inquiry before handing the case to the state Agriculture Law Enforcement Division for independent review.
- Police chiefs have confirmed that body‑worn camera footage exists but they have not released it while the state investigation proceeds.
- HeeHaw’s owner, Hannah Israel, has hired an attorney launched a GoFundMe for legal fees and plans civil action as public outcry and online campaigns demand transparency and the release of video.
- The incident has drawn attention to police use of force on animals during searches and could lead to civil claims and local policy scrutiny if investigators or courts find the shooting unjustified.