HeeHaw donkey shooting: Cedartown officer seeks lawsuit dismissal
A screengrab of a Cedartown police officer shooting and killing HeeHaw the miniature donkey on August 30, 2026. (Body camera footage provided by attorneys for Hannah Israel)
CEDARTOWN, Ga. - A Cedartown police officer who fatally shot a miniature donkey named HeeHaw is asking a federal judge to dismiss a civil rights lawsuit filed by the animal’s owner.
What we know:
Officer Trenton Ryan Garner filed the motion Oct. 7, asking the court to dismiss the case with prejudice, according to court documents obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta. He is also asking for qualified immunity, which could shield him from personal civil liability.
What the officer argues
What they're saying:
Garner’s motion says the pasture was not protected against warrantless searches and argues that shooting HeeHaw was reasonable. The filing says officers were searching for a missing child with a drone and police dog when they entered the property around midnight.
The motion also asks the court, as an alternative, to convert the request into a motion for summary judgment after expedited discovery focused on the encounter.
What the owner alleges
The other side:
Hannah Israel’s lawsuit claims officers entered her enclosed property without a warrant or permission and shot HeeHaw without provocation. She has said the donkey posed no threat.
The shooting happened Aug. 30 at Elsberry Riding and Farm in Rockmart while officers were searching for a missing 12-year-old girl, who was later found safe. HeeHaw’s death was captured on body camera footage. FOX 5 previously reported the video shows one officer using a Taser while another officer, identified in the lawsuit as Garner, shoots the donkey.
HeeHaw (Courtesy of Hannah Israel)
Garner is on administrative leave while Cedartown police investigate. The Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Law Enforcement Division is also reviewing the case.
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