A Georgia police officer claimed a family’s miniature donkey charged at officers during a search for a missing child, but newly released body-camera footage is raising questions about whether the friendly, bottle-raised animal posed a threat.

CEDARTOWN, GA — Newly released police body-camera footage is drawing renewed scrutiny to the fatal shooting of a 1-year-old miniature donkey named HeeHaw, who was killed by a Georgia police officer while officers searched a family farm for a missing child.

The footage, released Friday, October 9, documents the August 30 encounter involving Cedartown Police Officer Trenton Garner, who shot the donkey after claiming the animal charged toward officers and a police K-9 team.

HeeHaw’s owner, Hannah Israel, disputes that account, saying her donkey was raised around people, regularly participated in children’s petting zoos and visited nursing homes.

The video has renewed questions about the officer’s decision to use deadly force against the animal. Garner has been placed on administrative leave while the Georgia Department of Agriculture investigates.

Officer claimed miniature donkey charged at police

According to Garner’s written incident report, officers from multiple agencies were searching for a missing 12-year-old girl when they entered a pasture in Polk County, Georgia.

The search involved police K-9 handlers, bloodhounds and personnel assisting with aerial surveillance.

Garner reported that horses in the pasture became frightened and ran away as officers approached a fence line.

He said HeeHaw then approached the search team.

“The donkey then began to charge at us,” Garner wrote in his report.

According to the officer, a Polk County K-9 handler activated a Taser in an attempt to frighten the animal away.

The tactic reportedly failed to stop the donkey.

“This in fact did not deter the donkey, so I removed my department issued Glock 17 from its holster and pointed it at the donkey. I then fired a single round striking the donkey,” Garner wrote.

HeeHaw was struck by the bullet, moved away from the officers and collapsed.

The animal died from the gunshot wound.

Released footage raises questions about alleged attack

The newly released body-camera footage obtained by WSB-TV captures the encounter that resulted in HeeHaw’s death.

In the recording, Garner can be heard reporting the shooting.

“Firearm discharged at a donkey. It was trying to attack us on a pasture,” the officer said.

The footage has drawn criticism from viewers who question whether the animal’s movement toward officers constituted an aggressive charge or a friendly approach.

The officer’s report characterizes the donkey’s behavior as threatening. Israel maintains that HeeHaw was approaching people in the same manner he had throughout his life.

The released footage has not yet resulted in an official determination that Garner’s use of force was justified or unjustified.

Owner says HeeHaw regularly visited children and nursing homes

Israel, who owns Elsberry Riding & Farm in Rockmart, said HeeHaw was bottle-raised and had spent his entire life interacting with people.

She said the animal was unusually affectionate and treated humans as members of his family.

“He was very well socialized. He would go to petting zoos with the kids and adults at nursing homes,” Israel told WSB-TV.

“Heehaw thought people were his family and he was our family.”

Israel said she never witnessed the donkey behave aggressively toward anyone.

“He was not, like, an attack donkey or anything like that,” she said.

The family had been demanding the release of the body-camera footage for weeks, arguing that it could establish whether HeeHaw presented any genuine danger to the officers.

Family files federal lawsuit and demands $1 million

Israel has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Garner, alleging that the officer unlawfully entered her property and used excessive force in killing her donkey.

The lawsuit, filed September 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, challenges the circumstances surrounding the search and shooting.

Her attorney, Christopher McCormick, also submitted a $1 million demand to Cedartown officials.

The civil lawsuit names Garner individually. The City of Cedartown and its police department are not named as defendants in that action.

Israel’s legal team argues that officers had alternatives available and that HeeHaw did not present the threat described in the police report.

The allegations have not been adjudicated.

Police defend officer’s actions as state investigation continues

Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome Gillis has defended Garner’s account, saying officers believed the animal was charging toward the search team and its bloodhound.

Gillis previously said Garner was positioned away from the immediate path of the donkey but fired to protect other officers and the police dog.

“None of the officers wanted this to happen, but they did have to protect themselves and the bloodhound,” Gillis told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Law Enforcement Division is conducting an outside investigation into the animal’s death.

Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper has pledged an impartial review.

“We take animal death investigation extremely seriously,” Harper said. “This incident will be investigated thoroughly and impartially, and we will make an appropriate recommendation once the investigation has been concluded.”

No criminal charges against Garner have been announced.

The release of the body-camera footage provides new evidence for investigators, the family and the public to examine as the legal dispute continues.

For Israel, the central question remains why an animal she raised to trust people was shot and killed in his own pasture.