Trenton Garner, a police officer in Cedartown, Georgia, shot and killed HeeHaw, a $6,000 family pet donkey, on August 30 after it charged at him and other officers searching for a missing girl. According to Garner's report, the donkey was aggressive and charging towards them, prompting Garner to use his department-issued weapon. A video captured by a drone team shows HeeHaw turning away from the officers before collapsing. The incident has sparked outrage among the public, with the owner of the donkey demanding accountability and answers from the police.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score +0.35 for article 5044 (high confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-06
A Georgia cop has revealed why he shot a family’s beloved pet donkey as his department released the officer’s report to quell outrage over the killing.
asserted
department → reveal → killing
Trenton Garner, an officer in Cedartown, Georgia, shot and killed the donkey, named “HeeHaw,” on August 30.
asserted
Garner → shoot → August
He was sent along with a K-9 handler and a bloodhound team to search for a girl who had been reported missing approximately two hours prior, according to his report.
uncertain
who → send → report
Garner said he and the other officers were following a trail through the woods and into a pasture.
asserted
he → say → pasture
They found footprints near the route and began to search the area with the help of the dogs and a drone team from the Rockmart Fire Department, CBS News reports.
asserted
News → find → Department
The officers' presence near the fence line scared the horses in the pasture off, but — according to Garner's account — the miniature donkey HeeHaw instead charged at the officers.
uncertain
donkey → scar → officers
“As we were tacking down the fence line, the horses in the pasture spooked and ran back away from us across the pasture,” Garner wrote.
asserted
Garner → tack → pasture
“At this time, K-9 Handler Thomasson stated that there was a donkey on the side of the hill.
asserted
Thomasson → state → hill
The donkey then began to charge at us.”
asserted
donkey → begin → us
Garner also wrote that the Haralson County bloodhound team "retreated" from the miniature donkey.
asserted
team → write → donkey
The officer said he tried to use his Taser but it did not stop HeeHaw.
asserted
it → say → HeeHaw
He said he pulled out his department-issued weapon and fired, hitting HeeHaw.
asserted
he → say → HeeHaw
The donkey turned away from the officers, ran up a hill, and then collapsed, according to the report.
uncertain
donkey → turn → report
Garner told his supervisor he shot the animal to protect the K-9 handler and the bloodhound team, The Rockmart firefighters operating the drone said they captured the incident on the machine's camera.
asserted
they → tell → camera
The missing girl was eventually found safe further down the road the police were searching.
asserted
police → miss → road
Hannah Israel, who owned HeeHaw, told police that the animal was worth approximately $6,000, and insisted he had never acted aggressively or tried to hurt anyone.
“Cops entered my pasture searching for a missing person WITHOUT permission or warning and shot and killed my bottle raised BABY donkey,” she wrote in a social media post on Sunday.
asserted
she → own → Sunday
“HeeHaw was raised in the house and did petting zoos he never knew a stranger.
asserted
he → raise → stranger
And was shot and killed in his OWN pasture for doing what donkeys do."
asserted
donkeys → shoot → what
She said in a statement, posted by Elsberry Riding and Farm, that she is "heartbroken and traumatized" by HeeHaw's death and is demanding accountability and answers from the police.
asserted
she → say → police
Israel also said she does not condone anyone sending death threats to Garner or anyone else involved in the incident.
asserted
she → say → incident
"We can seek accountability without hatred," she wrote.
asserted
she → seek → hatred
The Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement is investigating the incident.
asserted
Department → investigate → incident
Garner has been placed on leave for the duration of that investigation.
asserted
Garner → place → investigation
