ROCKMART, GA. – HeeHaw knew people as friends. The one-year-old miniature donkey had been bottle-raised in a family home, greeted visitors at petting zoos, and spent time with children and nursing-home residents. Early Sunday, a Cedartown police officer shot and killed him in his own pasture while helping search for a missing child.

The child was later found safe at a church near the pasture. Cedartown placed the unidentified officer on paid administrative leave. The city also turned the shooting over to the Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement Division for an outside investigation.

A Search for a Missing Child Leads to the Pasture

According to the City of Cedartown, the Polk County Police Department asked Cedartown officers to assist with a nighttime search for a missing 12-year-old girl. That search led officers to a pasture along Grady Road near Rockmart.

The child remained missing when the shooting occurred early Sunday, Aug. 30. Police later found her at a church near the pasture, the city said.

Hannah Israel, who operates Elsberry Riding and Farm, said she received a call from police around 12:45 a.m. She said officers entered the pasture without first seeking permission or notifying the family. No agency has released a detailed timeline explaining how officers entered the property or what happened immediately before the shot.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office stressed that its deputies were not involved. The participating agencies were the Polk County Police Department and the Cedartown Police Department. Sheriff Johnny Moats later told WSB-TV that his office had received death threats despite that distinction.

A Bottle-Raised Donkey Who ‘Never Knew a Stranger’

Israel said HeeHaw had recently turned one and was the smallest of her miniature donkeys. She bottle-raised him from shortly after birth and kept him inside the family home during his earliest months.

As HeeHaw grew, he remained unusually comfortable around people. Israel said he followed her around the farm, ran to greet visitors, and brayed for attention. He also appeared at petting zoos and visited children and nursing-home residents.

“HeeHaw thought people were his family, and he was our family,” Israel told WSB-TV.

That history shapes the family’s account of the encounter. Israel said officers told her that HeeHaw ran toward them while braying. She said they believed they were in danger. According to Israel, an officer tried to use a Taser before firing the fatal shot.

To Israel, the behavior described by police sounded like HeeHaw’s familiar greeting, not an attack. She also said officers did not lead the family to his body. The family searched the pasture before finding him.

Officials have not released the officer’s account or explained what the officer perceived as HeeHaw approached. Investigators have not independently confirmed the family’s description of the encounter.

Chief Confirms Body-Camera Video Exists

Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome addressed the case in a video statement released Monday.

“I cannot imagine the grief and frustration that the tragic loss of HeeHaw has caused,” Newsome said.

Newsome confirmed that body-camera video exists and said he has reviewed it. However, he declined to describe what the footage shows while the outside investigation remains active. Officials have not publicly released the video.

In an interview with WSB-TV, Newsome said the officer had not told him that he feared for his life. The chief also said he had not asked the officer why he fired because the state agency would handle the investigation.

Newsome said he wanted an agency with animal expertise and no local ties to examine the case. The Georgia Department of Agriculture restored its law enforcement division in 2023. Its officers investigate matters that include animal cruelty.

The department has not announced when it may complete its review. Authorities had announced no charges, disciplinary findings, or final conclusions as of Tuesday.

Georgia Law and Questions About Training

Georgia’s animal-cruelty law makes causing an animal’s death through an unjustifiable act a crime. The law also permits a person to injure or kill an animal when that person reasonably believes it is necessary to stop an imminent threat to a person, another animal, or property. It requires the method to be as humane as possible under the circumstances.

State investigators have not publicly concluded whether the shooting was justified under that law.

The case has also raised questions about how officers prepare for encounters with animals on rural property. The National Sheriffs’ Association offers training on canine behavior, threat assessment, de-escalation, and alternatives to lethal force. Its resources include a Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police model policy for using force when dealing with animals.

Those resources focus largely on dogs. Cedartown has not publicly said whether the officer received animal-encounter training or whether department policy specifically addresses livestock.

A Family Plans Legal Action and a Memorial

Israel said she has hired an attorney and plans to pursue legal action. An online fundraiser established after HeeHaw’s death had exceeded $100,000 by Tuesday morning.

Israel later said her attorney would not use the donations. She said remaining money would support the farm’s animals and help establish a HeeHaw foundation. She stressed that the family did not view the campaign as personal compensation.

For Israel, the case is about more than the loss of livestock. It is about a young animal she raised by hand and expected to remain part of her family for decades.

The officer remains on paid administrative leave. Cedartown has not publicly identified the officer, and investigators have not released the body-camera footage. WEIS Radio will continue following the state investigation and update this story as officials release more information.

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