Cedartown Police chief releases video on 'tragic loss' of HeeHaw the donkey shot, killed by officer

To stream 11Alive on your phone, you need the 11Alive app. Example video title will go here for this video CEDARTOWN, Ga. — A new video released by the Cedartown police chief is offering the public a little more insight into what happened when a police officer shot and killed a beloved baby donkey during a search for a missing child in a pasture on Sunday morning. The video, released by Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsom, comes as the Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement Division investigates the shooting death of HeeHaw, a young donkey who was raised by a Polk County family and had become a beloved part of their lives. The shooting happened early Sunday morning after Cedartown Police officers were asked to assist Polk County Police with a nighttime search for a missing child. According to the police department, the child had not been found at the time of the shooting.

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Scoop News DeskCedartown, Georgia · Published Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 2:06 AM UTCUpdated Wednesday, September 2, 2026 at 3:03 AM UTC

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The department has said an officer encountered the donkey during the search and ultimately shot him. "During that search, it is with heavy hear that I report a Cedartown Police officer shot and killed a donkey that was in its own pasture," Newsom said. "I cannot imagine the grief and frustration that the tragic loss of HeeHaw has caused." HeeHaw's death has sparked an emotional response from the family who raised him and across the country.

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