DALLAS — A family has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the City of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas after a police horse trampled a teenage boy, leaving him with a serious brain injury, according to court documents and statements made by the family.
The incident occurred on October 8 at the State Fair of Texas when a mounted Dallas police officer reportedly lost control of his horse after spilling a cup of iced soda on the animal, causing it to run “wild through the crowd.”
Esther Macharia, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, described the moments of chaos and fear as she watched the horse trample her high school senior son, identified in court filings only by his initials.
“It was a moment that changed me, changed my family, changed my life,” Macharia said in an interview with WFAA. “The crowd started screaming. You know, that’s when I turned, I saw the horse run. So my son is on the floor. Everybody now is gathering.”
The lawsuit names the City of Dallas, the State Fair of Texas, the nonprofit Fair Park First, and Oak View Group, LLC as defendants. According to the complaint, the family had planned to enjoy a casual day at the fair, including visits to an auto show and the State Fair icon “Big Tex.”
The complaint claims the police officer was riding through the crowd “with a lax grip on the reins and a large cup of iced soda in one hand” before losing control of the horse and spilling the drink on it. The lawsuit alleges that the spooked horse then trampled the teenage boy, who began convulsing and suffered a seizure on the pavement in front of onlookers, eventually losing consciousness.
Macharia and her attorney initially discussed legal action in the days following the incident. According to the lawsuit, the family is seeking damages for the physical, emotional, and financial impact of the incident.
