Nothing Is Safe From Police, Not Even An Innocent Donkey [Op-Ed]

Here’s a question: how much does it take for cops to fear for their lives?

I ask because when police officers shoot and kill unarmed Black people, “I was in fear for my life” always seems to be the go-to justification regardless of how much imminent danger the officer was actually in, which is often next to none. Whether the victim is a Black man, a Black woman, or a Black child — even a Black baby — an extrajudicial execution is often an easy thing to copsplain away as long as the cop can convince the right people they were afraid.

Anyway, an officer in Polk County, Georgia, shot and killed a donkey over the weekend, and I can only imagine how absurd they must have felt explaining the fear they had for their lives before pulling the trigger.

According to Fox 5 Atlanta, a Cedartown police officer has been placed on administrative leave after a donkey named HeeHaw was shot and killed in its own residence while officers were in search of a missing child.

The shooting reportedly took place on Sunday around 12:45 a.m., when a search for a missing 12-year-old girl reportedly led Cedartown police officers to a farm property, Elsberry Riding and Farm, owned by Hannah Israel, who said officers entered her pasture without asking for permission. Officers reportedly found the girl safe elsewhere, but not until after one of them got spooked by a donkey, which the cop shot and killed. Israel said in a social media post that officers claimed HeeHaw “ran up to them braying and they thought they were in danger and shot and killed him after trying to tase him.”

The officer who actually did the shooting hasn’t been identified, but officials said the shooting is being investigated and the officer has been placed on administrative leave in the meantime.

Here’s Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome making the kind of public statement he probably never thought he’d have to make while keeping a serious face.

“It is with a heavy heart that I report a Cedartown police officer shot and killed a donkey that was in its own pasture,” he said. “I can not imagine the grief and frustration that the tragic loss of HeeHaw has caused, but I want the people to know what we are doing now.

“I have contacted the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s law enforcement division, and they are conducting an independent investigation,” he continued, urging “everyone to join us in prayer for everyone who was impacted, but give time for the investigation to be completed.”

Tell me Newsome didn’t sound just like a cop trying to calm a restless community after an unarmed Black person was killed.

Earlier this year, we reported that officers with the Los Angeles Police Department shot and killed a Black woman’s dog after they responded to a noise complaint that turned out to be the woman’s enthusiastic celebration of the New York Knicks’ NBA championship win. LAPD officials claimed the dog rushed toward officers who entered the home, forcing them to shoot to defend themselves.

This dog.

The dog’s owner said at the time that her pet “wasn’t baring his teeth, he wasn’t growling, he wasn’t aggressive, he wasn’t barking; he was just moving toward the officer.”

And, apparently, that’s all it took for cops to commit an action that would later require an “I was in fear for my life” excuse.

I mean, we talk about how brave our boys in blue are, but are they really? Is anyone safe from cops’ fear — including an innocent donkey?

SEE ALSO:

Video Shows Arkansas Cop Hold Gun To Unarmed Black Man’s Head [Op-Ed]

San Bernardino Deputies Fatally Shot Unarmed Black Man 20 Times